The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction
by flareon71
Summary: With nothing but memories of what seemed to be a human life and a name, a Riolu finds himself in the Pokémon world and is taken in by a Nuzleaf. Little does he know, he is in for much more than just him waking up with amnesia, especially since he isn't the only one with lost memories linked to an incoming apocalypse. (The Story of Team Fate sequel, rated T for the same reasons)
1. 1: A Limp Start

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 1 - A Limp Start**

 **Author's POV**

Life can be full of surprises. With twists and turns at every corner, happenings are everywhere. Opportunities are everywhere, too. It's only when one makes full use of these opportunities do beautiful things happen. The opportunity of potential is one not to take for granted, since it's an opportunity that usually comes by surprise. What makes the opportunity of potential even more surprising is when it comes to those unlikely to succeed. But when the underdogs use the opportunity of potential to end up becoming something unexpectedly big, that's the effects of opportunity at its finest.

Now, enough of this introduction. I feel like I've gone off topic for _far_ too long. We have a story to get to, don't we? (Actually, it's more of a fanfiction, I thought I've already solidified that point, but whatever) The story of individuals being placed in unexpected scenarios, with some assumptions not being what thet seem, but even then, the destined will pull through, even if their chance for success is a longshot.

 **? Forest**

The sun shines bright over a large secluded grassy opening. Minus the bird Pokémon that fly by every so often, the area possesses a serenity that can only be achieved by having its greenery untouched by herbivores. There is nothing but peaceful silence, swaying trees as well as lush grass, and a gentle breeze to stir the atmosphere.

Suddenly, the peaceful silence is interrupted when a frozen grey portal materializes in the air, hovering just above the grass. Several large cracks start to appear on the mysterious floating oval. The cracks then start to glow, and afterwards, the portal explodes out of existence. A dark figure, seemingly hailing from the portal's former position, is launched from the blows and reels across the grass, a murky aura seeping from several parts of its body.

"Urgh… c-c-curses… my r-r-retreat… failed…" It mutters, its tone bearing a distorted air to it. A garbled cry of pain is let out as it puts what looks like a bleeding hand onto its face. "These… hands… this vessel's body… the damage… My… m-m-m-my eye!" Its tone rises in agitation.

Wavering, the figure makes an attempt to lift its body from the grass, only for the attempt to be in vain. The following impact against the ground causes more dark aura of sorts to bleed onto the grass.

The figure curses under its breath, slamming a fist onto the ground as its one blue eye starts glowing with a harsher intensity. "This vessel… is at its limits… and I'm blind…" It pauses, eye flickering. "But… t-t-this place… I can sense a familiar energy… I-I-I've been here… I still have a chance… I can still make m-m-my comeback… even if my vessel is falling apart… I'll just use what little power I have left to alter the t-t-t-timeline as if I was always here! Here… I can be less subtle… and take my true form!"

With one more fist slam against the ground, the figure's entire body then starts to dissipate into a swarm of dark spots that proceed to orbit it until its whole being takes up this floating dust-like form. Even then, its voice lets out a garbled cackle, sounding more distorted than ever, as the orb that was once its eye shifts to a violent purple hue and enlarges.

The sound of vaguely maniacal laughter echoes around the clearing it's present in. The violent hostile shade of purple briefly flashes in such a way that makes it visible through the clearing's opening, right where a flock of Pidgeot are passing by.

Only one of the fliers take note of the glimpse of the unusual scene. She sighs to herself. ' _And just as I was heading home for dinner… stuff like this in the forest is the sorta stuff I'm obligated to check out.'_

The Pidgeot breaks away from the group and flies down into the clearing, swiftly making sure to hide behind a tree. As she observes the transformation going on before her eyes, her entire body glows for a brief second. Her figure shrinks to a smaller form that's better suited to hide behind the tree. Once the glow fades, what's left is the pink-furred levitating figure of a Mew.

"Oh… oh no…" Her eyes widen as the sound of cackling grows louder. "This looks bad… Really bad…" She sighs. "I'm going to have to get some help for this."

Without wasting a second, the Mew transforms back to her Pidgeot form and takes to the skies.

 **Many years later, ?, ?'s POV**

 _Urgh… what… what happened? Where… am I?_

I slowly lift my eyelids, immediately feeling a weight to them that seems ancient as if I've been knocked out for a long time. This is emphasized by the first sensation I feel being an echoed pounding to my head. A groan escapes my mouth, reaching my ears in a vaguely familiar fashion. I instinctively take a deep breath to ease my senses, and as I exhale, the sound of my breath is accompanied by the faint wash of a stream.

 _Where… where am I, again?_

With a bit of trouble at first, I prop myself up to my feet and focus on my surroundings, immediately taking note of the modest little tree my back was leaning against. Afterwards, I bring my eyes over to the rest of the area, registering the quaint little clearing of grass. Judging by the trees around, this place seems to be in a forest of some sort.

 _Okay… I'm in a forest, I guess… but… how did I get here?_

A brief instinct of panic from the lack of answers makes me take another deep breath in an attempt to clear my head. However, as soon as I exhale, I suddenly become aware of how blank my head really is.

 _Where… where are all the memories? Why don't I remember anything about how I got here? H-How-_

I suddenly break into a series of coughs mid-panic, giving me a reminder of my 'unfamiliar' voice. And how that voice came from a throat that feels _very_ parched.

Once again I remind myself of the gentle sound of a trickling water stream, guiding my eyes to my right to see a pond, glistening water pouring down from a modest-looking waterfall to match. I scramble across the grass and get to scooping the water to my mouth in a heartbeat.

The feeling of cool water traveling down my throat leaves me with an easing sensation of relief that travels to the rest of my body, calming me down.

 _Okay…_ I think mid-drink, my scoops still eager. … _I… I don't know how I got here… or why I got here… but… other than what I don't know… what do I know? My… my mind isn't completely blank, right?_

Something comes up. _Why… why can't I get the word 'Indigo' out of my head? Is it… important? Is it my… favorite colour or… something? Is it… my name? Seems like an… unusual name… but I guess it can fit for… a male like me… wait, I'm male, right? I… remember being male… sort of… but it's not like I have any way to check that right now… do I?_

 _I don't know… I just got up from being unconscious and I'm already having a mental struggle…_

With one more gulp of water downed, I let out a sigh of defeat, dropping my… blue… hands?

 _Wait one second… these… these aren't hands!_

As if to follow up, the ripples on the pond beneath me calm, giving me a proper look at my blue-furred and snouted face, dumbfounded reddish eyes staring right back at me.

If I hadn't already swallowed my fill, I would've had a lot to spit out. Instead, I just kneel there, as if waiting for the complete implications of this moment to fully sink in.

 _I… I'm a Riolu…_ I finally stir, staring down at my furred paws as mixed emotions swim in my head. _I really am a Riolu… but… this… this isn't right! If… if there's anything I can vaguely remember, it's that this isn't right! I'm not a Riolu! I shouldn't be a Riolu! I'm… a… a…_

A single word resurfaces. … _a human._

Shifting attention away from my surprise for a second, I try to focus on that one word, hoping for the presence of any other linked memories that can at least give me a better idea of what's going on.

Nothing. No answers pop up, which just leaves room for more panic.

 _Okay… okay… okay…_ I take a deep breath. … _I… don't know anything… and there's a lot of things I need to know about… I need some help... some company… anyone…_

The dependent urge within me continues to force my panic to come back up, making me put my wet paws to my head.

 _Come on… I can't be alone here, can I?_

I frantically gaze over my surroundings once more, searching for a sign that I'm not the only one out here. Anyone that could at least give me a sign of some sort, at least!

I feel my ears perk up. Even if a circle of trees is all I see, a faint noise reaches my ears, a looping sound of some sort. As I dwell on what this sound could be, I hear it slowly getting louder, as if its source is coming closer.

My eyes catch something amidst the trees around me. Levitating big headed passerbys of a light brownish colour. Three of them.

 _Are those… Beheeyem?_

I'm answered when they emerge from the forest, all of them looking occupied in a conversation of some sort. However, because I don't hear their cries, the only hint of communication I catch is the flashing lights on the ends of their arms, probably where the electronic-like beeping's coming from.

 _Maybe… maybe I can talk to them… I could go for any help at this point…_

I approach them, but as I do, their conversation of beeping noises come to a halt. They all hover in a line and watch me with blank but intent stares. The way they all fell silent and shifted their focus to me almost simultaneously leaves me with an uneasy air. As if they're _waiting_ for me to speak.

Regardless, I muster my voice.

"Uh… h-hello?" Immediately after uttering, I take a few practice coughs to clear my throat. "I'm… I'm lost… D-Do you think you can help me?"

The three Beheeyem remain silent, their gazes still fixated on my now-quivering figure. I suddenly develop the urge to back away, but before I can stir, they do. They go back to facing each other and flashing their arm lights at each other, probably going back to discussing something.

Then, they go back to their watching position. However, the one in the middle slowly levitates my way, eyes still on me. The uneasy air only escalates as it levitates down so that we're both at eye level. The silent staring returns, this time with the other two Beheeyem ahead staring with what looks like vague intrigue.

The Beheeyem in front of me is the rest I see, the air of unreadable mystery still remaining. The urge to take a step back comes to me, but my quivering furred limbs remain stiff. All I'm left to do is just remain watching… waiting for something to happen. Something has to stir eventually, right?

I'm broken out of my stunned trance when I notice the Beheeyem in front of me raise an arm, its entirety enveloped in a shiny white glow. My mind immediately recognizes the gesture.

 _Is that… is that a Steel Wi-_

My question is answered when I feel the solid impact of steel hit me right in the face with the speed of a darting punch. Next thing I know, I'm soaring through the air with my paws clutching my throbbing snout, all my senses screaming in pain.

Another wave of pain follows when my back collides with a standing trunk of wood, forcing a whimper out of my throat as I sprawl onto the grass.

"Urgh…" Shakily, with a paw on my snout, I get back on my feet.

However, I do so hastily, as I'm quickly reminded of the sudden threat when I see the Beheeyem slowly levitating my way.

I instinctively attempt to step back, but I end up with back against tree. _They're going to corner me if I don't do something!_

My eyes quickly dart around me in search of an escape route, but all I see is the impenetrable circle of foliage surrounding me.

All of a sudden, my senses call out to me, jerking my attention to a gap in between two trees to my left.

Without a second thought, I make a break for it.

 _I don't know where this goes… but I don't have any other choice!_

A few strides later, I find myself darting through a straight path, tree shade all around me to give a vague impression of a hallway.

Quickly, I glance behind me to see if I still need to keep my pace. The speeding blue beam whizzing my way as I do so is enough of an answer.

"Agh!" I cry out and sidestep away. As soon as I follow the beam's path of motion to see it miss its mark, I face ahead down the stretch of forest and continue putting my legs to work. A series of thoughts race through my head at a similar speed.

 _Why… why would these Beheeyem want to attack me?! Are they… that territorial?! If so… why are they still chasing me?! And how do they even learn that Steel Wi-_

All of a sudden, I feel myself ramming face-first into the familiar texture of wood, but this time, we both fall over from the impact. I cry out, only for my voice to be accompanied by another one of an adult male.

"Argh… what in _tarnation?!"_

As if the distinctly heavy adult accent wasn't enough, looking up to see the leaf-headed Nuzleaf getting up was enough to confirm that this wasn't some tree.

 _A-Another Pokémon?! Here?!_

My shaking limbs find themselves unable to muster the action of propping myself up. All I manage to do stare back at the Nuzleaf with quivering eyes.

"P-P-Please…" is all I'm able to mutter.

Yet, contrary to the fear swirling in my head, I see no trace of hostility in the Nuzleaf's eyes. "What's the matter?"

My mind is too shaken to process a response concise enough to explain everything. But, as if to speak for me, I hear the whizz of a distant beam from behind, which the Nuzleaf notices as well. Swiftly, the Nuzleaf jumps in the way of the attack, the beam dissipating as soon as it makes contact with him.

"Good gravy!" He cries out, sounding surprised by how sudden the blow was rather than the damage(?) itself. I get a good look at his expression when he turns back to face me. "Those Beheeyem down the stretch there… they after ya or somethin'?!"

I hurriedly nod. "I-I-I… I don't know why… they just started attacking me! I didn't do anything wrong, I swear!"

I take a look past Nuzleaf to see three distant figures floating closer into view. Before I can attempt another effort to stand up, I get whisked to my feet.

"I'll have to trust your word then," Nuzleaf says, a cautious but firm tone to his voice. "Come on, follow me! We don't have time to waste!"

He fires a projectile of some sort towards the Beheeyem's direction and runs ahead, motioning for me to follow.

Before I can question anything further, I follow suit.

* * *

It seemed like a few minutes before our paces slowed down to walks. After finally mustering the courage to take a glance back, I realize why.

 _I… think we lost them…_

I let out a breath, both to sigh in relief and to take a breath to compose myself. Going turn after turn down the same-looking forest path has taken its toll on my…

… _my body…_

With a sudden reminder of my waking conflict, I look down at my paws. My thoughts stir with more mixed feelings about this particular situation.

 _It's jarring to think that this fur… these paws… are mine now… I've spent all this time running to the point where I feel used to using them by now…_

 _At least I'm lucky to be a Riolu… I don't think I would've managed nearly as well if I were a quadruped instead…_

 _I might as well consider myself lucky to be capable of running right when it mattered… But… I know I was running from the Beheeyem, but now… where am I running to?_

I look ahead to see the Nuzleaf, still trudging along the path. I've been following him at a walk's pace for a while now, yet in that time I never asked him about our destination… or our current location for that matter.

I muster a breath. "Hey… Nuzleaf, uh… wait, can I call you that?"

"Hmm?" He glances back at me. "Sure, or Mr. Nuzleaf if you'd like. Whatever you fancy. Ya also got a name of sorts you'd prefer to go by?"

 _A… name?_ I quickly fish out the closest thought related to what I perceived was a name. "... Indigo."

"Indigo, eh? I reckon that'd do." His lip curls up to resemble a faint smile. "Anyways, Indigo, I hope you aren't tired yet. The village is just a short ways from here."

I cock my head at an angle. "We're… going to a village?"

Mr. Nuzleaf nods. "Serene Village. That's where I live. It shouldn't be too far off… just need to finish gettin' through this mystery dungeon area here."

"A… mystery dungeon?" I start pondering over how alien the term is to me.

"Ya don't know what that is?"

I nod slowly.

The smile on Mr. Nuzleaf's face turns to a proud grin. "Well, fortunately ya got an outgoing adult explorer like me with ya. You see, mystery dungeons are like these weird areas with items of sorts lying around, among other things. Like the twisting corridors and rooms in a forest of all places."

 _I… never really questioned the layout, but now that he mentions it._

"For some, it can be very easy to get lost in these places. Just need to find the staircase-like structure to descend to another floor, sometimes to either an end or an exit. You follow?"

I put a paw to my furry chin. _I… never really noticed that staircase bit…_ "So… this forest is like a cave?"

His eyes light up. "When ya put it like that, I suppose you're right. Except here, the whole 'mystery dungeon' thing is harder to notice since this place in particular is subtle about it."

The urge to press on hits me. "What… do you mean? I'm… pretty sure I saw some berries lying around here and there…"

Mr. Nuzleaf shakes his head. "That wasn't what I was referring to. You remember them Beheeyem we managed to outrun? At first, I thought they were ferals, but somethin' about 'em seemed more aware than the usual hostile. There are usually some Pokémon you can find around these mystery dungeon parts who are feral and extremely territorial, but I reckon them Beheeyem are different."

"Wait… there can be ferals? Here?" I take a second to process the realization.

"Good to see you catchin' on, Indigo. I was wonderin' why we haven't run into any hostiles at this point, but I'd rather not jinx it."

Then, as if on cue, a sound reaches my ears, the black dangling appendages near them rising as if to add to the sudden urgency. However, instead of beeping from behind, I hear footsteps from ahead. Rapid footsteps.

I feel some sort if focused sensation wash over me as my dangles remain suspended, allowing me to see the threat in the distance.

"Something's charging at us!" I cry out.

Mr. Nuzleaf quickly shifts his view ahead, only for his tone to embrace the same panic as mine. "A Bouffalant?! Here?! Why I oughta—get down!"

As the large hoofed (and afro-ed?) beast continues stampeding our way, Mr. Nuzleaf quickly sidesteps out of the way of a horn, leaving me to be the next one potentially run over. However, in the split second time I'm given, I find myself unable to move my firmly planted legs. Instead, as if by instinct, I retract my paw and thrust it forward in the direction of the Bouffalant's face.

The flat of my paw hits its mark with the force of a speeding strike, a quick blast of energy pulsing from it to add to the damage. For a second, it seems like all momentum me and the Bouffalant had has reached equilibrium, until my target suddenly reels back on its hooves.

I look down at my right paw in astonishment.

 _I didn't know I could do that… That was a Force Palm, right?_

All of a sudden, the adrenaline returns to my system when I see the Bouffalant attempt to charge at me once more. My instincts urge me to go on the defensive, but the Bouffalant has already swung its head my way.

Before I can attempt anything, the air is forced out of my lungs when the side of a large horn slams into my chest, hurling me to a nearby tree in one fell swing. The impact against wood sends a shock wave of pain everywhere on my body, this time intensifying the already throbbing damage from everything before.

"Urgh…" Everything I can muster to move screams out in pain at a volume that would be deafening if actually heard, barely leaving me with a voice to speak.

 _I… can't feel anything…_

With heavy eyelids, I fall down onto the grass in a sprawled position, unable to get any of my limbs to prop myself up.

 _Come on… not now…_

I let out another breath, and then comes darkness.


	2. 2: Resourceful Explorer

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 2 - Resourceful Explorer**

 **?'s House, Indigo's POV**

A gentle breeze ruffles at my fur. It nips at me, almost beckoningly. I try to stir, but my limbs stay stuck in a state of drowsy limbo.

 _Come on… get up, you!_

Suddenly, the realization of my awareness becomes apparent to me, consciousness washing over me in the process. I immediately follow the direction of the breeze to see a circular glass window, slightly open.

 _Urgh… what… what happened?_

 _Where… am I?_

… _wait, didn't I think that already?_

Slowly, I get back onto my feet with a stagger, giving me a painful recollection of what happened, Riolu fur, throbbing snout, weak limbs, and all.

My steps sway for a second as a dizzy spell passes. I put a paw to my head, slowly trying to focus my gaze on my surroundings. Looking around myself some more, I see that the window is part of a circular room of wooden walls.

 _Wait… Am I in a room? The room of a house?_

Glancing around some more allows me to see more signs that confirm my 'house theory'.AnA opening leading to another room, some idly standing pots and boxes, and even what looks like a bed made out of straw laying down right where I'm standing.

 _If I'm in a house… then who's-_

Then, as if on cue to my thoughts, the door in the other room swings open as Nuzleaf walks in, a large blue pile of what I somehow recognize as Oran Berries sitting in his arms.

 _Okay… why do I feel like this 'as if on cue' feeling is going to be a recurring thing…_

"Mr… Nuzleaf?" I cautiously ask, my mind still fresh with confusion.

"Oh, hey Indigo!" He greets me with a smile, closing the door behind him with a backwards push with his foot. He heads my way and sets the berries down in a large bowl. "Good to see ya finally awake. That Bouffalant must've dealt a hefty amount of hurt considering it took this long for the Reviver Seed to kick in."

"W-W-Wait…" I pause. "Bouffalant? Reviver Seed? I… need some time to piece things together…"

Mr. Nuzleaf assumes a cross-legged sitting position right beside the bowl of berries. "I suppose I can't blame ya. Ask what you'd like."

 _Whatever I'd like…?_ I take another slow glance around the room and sit back down on the straw bed. "Well… first… what happened after I passed out?"

"After takin' care of that Bouffalant, I fed ya a Reviver Seed and brought you here, my little house. You must've taken a real beatin' from that one hit considerin' how long it took for you to wake up. Then after leavin' you here, I asked for all these berries here to help you recover." He reaches for the bowl and takes a bite out of a berry. "You should eat some of these. Even if you don't need some patchin' up, these were grown well."

I take the palm-sized berry in my paws and stare at its inviting blue surface curiously. _These are Oran Berries, right? If there's anything I remember…_

"You can trust those berries, don't worry. They're fresh from my good neighbour Carracosta's Oran Berry field." He smiles. "We're good pals, so you're free to dig in."

 _I can certainly trust Nuzleaf on that…_ I bring the Oran Berry to my mouth and bite off a tender chunk. Wtih every bit of chew I take, I feel a bit of the juices take its effect and spread a soothing wave that eases my pain from before, making its refreshing taste even better.

With rejuvenation continuing to spread to my body, the added motive to eat leads me to finish the rest of the berry in more eager bites.

I hear Mr. Nuzleaf laugh as he swallows the rest of his berry. "Ol' Carracosta really does grow good berries. I'm mighty privileged bein' trusted enough to be given these. You enjoyin' yourself as much as I am?"

My expression livens up as I nod, reaching for another berry. "I think I could go for a while eating these…"

He smiles. "Good to hear you're holdin' up alright. So, if you don't mind me askin', what were you doin' out there in the forest with them Beheeyem?"

 _What… I was doing?_ I pause, weighing my choices.

 _Mr. Nuzleaf wouldn't just suddenly attack me like those Beheeyem, right? He… doesn't seem like the type of Pokémon who'd just do that…_

In the silence of my hesitation, I see Nuzleaf pick up another berry from the wooden bowl, wearing a patient stare as he waits for my response. _I… I can trust him…_

"To be honest… I don't even know why I was there… or remember, actually…" I sheepishly put a paw to the back of my head. "I… I think I woke up with amnesia… and when I saw those Beheeyem, I tried to ask them for help, but out of nowhere they just attacked me…"

He lets out an intrigued hum as he chews an Oran Berry piece. "You say you woke up plumb in the middle of nowhere and was attacked? I suppose that explains the bleeding snout… Those Beheeyem must really be after ya for some reason."

"I… I know… but even I don't know why… all I told them was that I was lost…"

He slowly nods with a frown. "It's just a hunch, but I reckon there was somethin' you knew too much of before you lost your memories. Is there anythin' else you remember other than. let's say, your name?"

 _Moment of truth…_ "Well… I mean, I still remember things like what Oran Berries are… and Pokémon species, moves… and that I apparently used to be a human…"

His eyes widen with a quivering mouth, as if he were about to spit his piece of berry. "Wh-What in the hey now?! A human, you say?!"

I slowly nod. _N-No going back now…_ "B-But… that's all I know…"

Nuzleaf takes a second to swallow his berry piece. "Well… puttin' the fact that humans are the things of myths aside… you're a mighty poor fella… I reckon you don't got nowhere to go?"

 _Don't… nowhere… what?_ "Uh… yeah… Without any memories that could lead me on… I don't have anywhere to go… or stay…" I take a look around me, taking note of the room once more. "Is it… okay if I stay here? For… a while, at least?"

He frowns, crossing his arms with a thoughtful look. "Hmm, well… I don't know… Back then, when I said I'd bring you here, I was thinkin' that because you looked roughed up and needed a quick breather. You know, a place to take a quite sittin' down before heading out on the road again. But now that you explain your situation, I feel mighty sorry for ya… Oh, what the heck, why not?"

My expression lights up. "S-So… does that mean…"

He smiles at me. "I'll admit, it gets mighty lonely around here. I'll definitely appreciate the extra company. Just hope you don't mind stayin' in the surplus room with all the stuff I don't know what to do with."

"I'm just fine being able to stay somewhere in the first place…" I chuckle as well. "I… hope you don't see me as a freeloader or something… unless some sort of miracle pops out of nowhere, I have a feeling I'll be staying here for a while…"

"Now that you do mention it, I'll have to take some measures!" His look lights up with eagerness. "One thing's for certain, you'll have to learn how to defend yourself out there in them mystery dungeons. Fortunately, not only does Serene Village have some tame mystery dungeons nearby, but there's also a school all about teaching kids about mystery dungeons. I'll have to enroll you there, if that's alright."

"Wait… a school?" I cautiously ask. "Here?"

 _Pokémon go to school?_

He nods. "Other than being a great learning experience, I think it'd be a fine way to get you to make some friends."

"I… I might as well…"

Nuzleaf smiles and gets up. "I suppose I'll be off, then. Other than having to enroll you, I have some special errands I need to get to, but until I get back, stay here. You have to eat these here Oran Berries until you get back to tip-top shape."

The obedient urge within me speaks. "Will do."

"And just in case anyone drops by while I'm out, try to avoid tellin' 'em about the Beheeyem and such. We don't want no sudden panic happening in the village or nothing."

 _Don't… no… nothing… what?_ "G-Got it."

With that, he walks over to the other room and pulls a bag from a large box, slinging its strap over his shoulder.

"I'll be back before ya know it." Nuzleaf gives me a wave and walks out the door.

I breathe out a sigh and let my stare drop to the big bowl of Oran Berries before me.

 _All I have are these berries… might as well make the most out of my time…_

The next few minutes consist of more eager eating, my chewing being the only sound accompanying the surrounding silence.

I swallow another chunk of berry, taking note on how I've eaten to the point where it looks like the bowl is half empty now.

 _Or… half empty? I… I don't know…_

With a deep breath, I prop myself back up my feet, this time managing to keep my feet firmly planted. No staggering or dizzy spells whatsoever, just pure rejuvenation.

 _Whoa… these really worked! Not that… I had any doubts in the first place, but still, wow!_

"Hee hee hee!"

My little moment of surprised triumph is interrupted when I suddenly hear an energetic giggle behind me. The sudden noise almost makes me jump.

 _Okay… w-what the heck? That giggle was way too childish sounding to be Nuzleaf's… and it doesn't sound like a noise a Beheeyem would make, either…_

I quickly look towards the slightly open window behind me and briefly notice some sort of figure standing outside. However, before I can register any details, it dashes away.

 _That… was weird…_

The urge to walk to the window reaches me. However, my attention is caught when I look around the room some more to see some sort of rolled up piece of paper on the floor, right next to the box Nuzleaf got his bag from.

 _Did… Nuzleaf drop this?_

I walk over to to the piece of paper and pick it up, unrolling it.

 _Hmm…_ I squint slightly. … _is… this a map? I can see some diagrams that make it look like one… but it's a bit too dark here to properly make out…_

I bring my gaze back to the window, taking note of the sunlight it's letting in. Since it isn't too high, it looks like I can hold it right outside the window. I just have to open the window some more to get more sunlight in…

I put a paw to the window and push it open, but as I do so, something green quickly wraps itself around my head and pulls, heaving me out through the window as I land on what feels like some grass.

 _W-What's going on?!_

"Mmmf!"

As soon as I cry out, the grip around my head releases itself, allowing me to catch a glimpse of what look like vines retreating into a figure's shoulder. As for the figure in question…

"I knew it! Mr. Nuzleaf did bring in a new kid!" she says, her child-like and giddy tone immediately reminding me of the giggle from before. "And it's a… Riolu! Wait, what?"

Taking a second to shake off the surprise shock from the previous gesture, I get up from my sprawled position on the grass, dusting myself off as I do so. When I get back to my feet, I raise an eyebrow at Snivy giving me a confused stare.

"Hi! I'm Fia!" Her look perks up as she gives me an eager grin. "What's your name? And how the heck did Mr. Nuzleaf suddenly get a Riolu kid today? Wait! Does Nuzleaf have a wife I never heard about?! A Lucario wife?!"

I take a second to blink once she falls silent. _Arceus… she has a lot on her mind…_

"Well… uh… I'm Indigo," I pause, taking a second to prepare my words. "And… just so we're clear… I'm not related to Mr. Nuzleaf in any way… I passed out in the forest and he took me in… And besides… if I really was born all od a sudden today… or yesterday… then we wouldn't really look like we have the same age or anything like that…"

"Whoa, really?" Fia replies, her eyes widening with intrigue. "I think we look the same age too!"

"That's… good to know…" I continue. "And uh… for that 'Mr. Nuzleaf having a wife' thing… that's something I should think about… Maybe not… I guess. If he did have one… then I probably would've seen her."

"I guess that explains it!" Fia's tone remains excited. "I should've _known_ you weren't Nuzleaf's kid. I mean, even _I_ have a higher chance of being his kid than you! Anyways, since you're new here, let me show you around!"

"Uh…" I attempt to protest. "Actually, I shouldn't really be-"

I'm cut off when she grabs my paw, this time with her hand, and runs down a path, dragging me along with her in the process. I stumble a bit as I try to keep up with her.

 _Urgh… there's not much I can do at a time like this… I guess I just have to roll with the punches…_

 **Serene Village's Plaza, Author's POV**

Dragging Indigo down the path away from Nuzleaf's house, Fia brings Indigo past several small hut-like houses, eventually bringing him down some wooden bridges along the winding path leading to a large wooden archway. Past the archway, the two find themselves in a large circular grassy clearing with several facilities and other paths around it, several other Pokémon passing by.

"Here we are! Serene Village's plaza!" Fia says, letting go of Indigo's paw.

With their stopped pacing allowing him a breather, the Riolu takes a second to absorb his surroundings, quickly finding himself in astonishment.

Fia notices his gaping mouth and giggles. "It's nice here, isn't it? We even have a nice little lake and a cute little dock! You see that cafe over there? That's Cafe Connection, run by Kangaskhan! And those two little stands nearby are the Kecleon Shop and Hawlucha's Slam… 'School'. You can buy items from Kecleon and Hawlucha can help you learn moves… even though that tiny decorated stand doesn't even look like a school."

' _A… school?'_ The word catches Indigo's focus, prompting him to glance the direction of Fia's pointing finger. ' _... oh.'_

Fia slowly nods along, catching onto Indigo's look. "But you know what _is_ a school? You see that path branching off there doesn't have an exit archway? That path leads to the Pokémon School! And that other path with an exit archway leads out of Serene Village and to a whole lot of mystery dungeons! Though Pops said I'm not allowed to leave there until I get a map…"

Indigo raises an eyebrow. "Your… Pops?"

"Oh! You see, Pops is my… 'father'," Fia responds with a sudden cautiousness. "He's a Carracosta! Now, I know, I'm a Snivy, he's a Carracosta, you probably have a lot of questions, but that's its own long story!"

Indigo takes a second to process Fia's words. ' _Her father… is the Carracosta that Nuzleaf was talking about?'_

' _A long story for another day…'_ Fia thinks, right before her attention is suddenly whisked ahead. "Oh wait, there he is!"

Fia then dashes towards a Carracosta further ahead, only for the shelled Pokémon to stomp as he turns behind to face her, a displeased look on the Water Rock type's face.

"Fia! There you are! We need to talk!" The Carracosta yells gruffly. "I just checked the harvest from my secret Oran Berry fields to get Nuzleaf some and rcouldn't help but notice that a lot of them have been eaten! I know it isn't any of the bird Pokémon since I proofed the place of them, and I _also_ know you're the only other Pokémon here who knows where it is… care to explain?"

"Come on, don't blame me for that! I didn't eat your Oran Berries!" Fia assumes a pout. "I have not!"

"You have!" Carracosta retaliates.

"Have not!" Fia replies with an even more stubborn tone.

Carracosta then stomps a foot onto the ground in anger.

"I want the truth from you, child!"

As if by the flip of a switch, Fia's pout immediately shifts to a cheerful smile. "Yeah, I did eat them. They were delicious!"

Carracosta scowls. "Fia…"

"Hey! Fia! There you are, you mischief maker!" A Lombre approaches the Snivy. "I know it was you who messed up my lotus pond!"

"Stop right zere, Fia!" A Hippopotas appears as well. "I know it was you who broke into my cave shelter!"

Fia sheepishly giggles. ' _Busted again… and all at the same time, too!"_

She quickly turns to face the stunned Riolu behind her. "Well, gotta run! See ya later, Indigo!"

The Snivy bolts off through the way she just came, a suddenly-forming horde of other Pokémon stampeding after her.

"We're coming for youuuuuuuuu!"

All the while, Indigo remains standing to the side with a dumbfounded stare, still attempting to process what just unfolded in front of him.

' _So I… just made my first friend… I think? And… now she's been chased off…'_ He remains gazing at the plaza in a brief trance before a realization hits him. ' _W-Wait! Now that she's not dragging me around, I have to get back to Nuzleaf's house!_

With the rolled up paper still in his paw, the Riolu quickly turns around and runs back through the path, eyes rapidly scanning through the almost identical hut-like houses. However, his search stops when heads up the winding grassy path to see a distinctly unique house. The wood shaping its round shape is a familiar brown colour, and if that isn't enough, a structure of a giant green leaf sits on its roof. Without bearing a second thought, Indigo immediately grabs at the only doorknob.

He sighs. ' _Locked… wait… what's this?'_ Indigo notices a peculiarly shaped 'keyhole' below the doorknob with some small words carved into the wood. '' _Insert nose here?' Wait… why… does Nuzleaf have this nose lock… thing? Urgh… I'm definitely not trying that…'_

Indigo quickly runs around the house and finds the same window he got dragged through, only to find that there's no grip to pull the window open.

' _Urgh… it must've fallen down and locked itself after Fia dragged me out of it… maybe. Whatever the case… I'm locked out…'_

He lets the defeat show in his sigh.

' _Well… since I can, I might as well read what this paper says…'_

The Riolu unrolls the paper to see the an entire continent's worth of diagrams illustrated on it. His attention is then brought back to the handwriting near the paper's top.

'' _Spare Map'... 'Water Continent'...'_ Indigo pauses. ' _So this did fall from Nuzleaf's box… but that means the other map's probably with Nuzleaf… I could just stay here… wait… maybe try inserting my… snout… into the keyhole every now and then… or I could just wander Serene VIllage some more.'_

He lowers his head and sighs. ' _As much as I don't want to… I don't have much choice but to do the latter…'_

With a cautious pace, Indigo walks back to the grassy circle of Serene Village's plaza, taking brief glances at the few residents still passing by. He takes a deep breath, indulging in the nature's breeze as he brings his attention back to the map in his paws.

' _I… could go to one of these mystery dungeons… but… should I really?'_

"Shelmet, come on, you've gotta be kidding me! Goomy couldn't really have gone there of all places!"

Indigo's ears twitch at the sound of quarrel. In the corner of his eye, he follows its source to two figures standing by the exit archway Fia pointed out. A pink-furred Deerling angrily staring down a Shelmet.

"I'm telling the truth, Deerling, believe me!" The Shelmet replies with a stubborn tone. "He even insisted on going himself!"

"Enough of this, Shelmet! I know you and Pancham enough to know that you were up to something!" Deerling's tone grows increasingly authoritative with her scowl. "No more excuses, tell me the truth!"

"Okay, fine, fine, _maybe_ Pancham and I pushed him into doing it…" Shelmet answers, his eyes trailing off with coy innocence. "But still! Goomy himself said that he wanted to go to Foreboding Forest!"

Deerling sighs, her tone and stare bearing a mix of disappointment of anger.

Her composed but firm tone returns as she takes a breath. "Where's Pancham?"

"He's at Foreboding Forest's entrance and waiting for Goomy for return," Shelmet replies. He then lets out a slight snicker. "That is, _if_ Goomy returns…"

Shelmet's remark only worsens Deerling's scowl.

' _Just… calm down…'_ Deerling thinks to herself, resisting the urge to Double Kick Shelmet right then and there. ' _Oh, who am I kidding?'_

"Not another word about that, Shelmet!" Deerling scolds. "You and Pancham are always teasing poor Goomy! He's already unconfident of a Pokémon as is, so your harassing isn't helping him at all, let alone anyone else you've been bothering! You're going to come with me to Foreboding Forest so I can do something about this! I have to give Pancham a piece of my mind!"

"Uh… y-yes, ma'am!" Shelmet blurts out.

Shelmet then leads Deerling away through the exit archway and out of Indigo's sight.

He glances at the map and down the path the two left. ' _I… I don't know why… but I feel like I should help them… Foreboding Forest, was it?'_ He pauses for a second before finding a purplish diagram on the map. ' _It isn't too far from here… I'm sure I can get there on my own…'_

The Riolu puts a paw to his chin, suddenly weighing his choices. ' _Should I really be going like this even if Mr. Nuzleaf told me to stay? I… I could be obedient… but something inside me is telling me I just_ _ **have**_ _to do this since I overheard it…'_

He sighs. ' _It's not like I have anything else to do… well… I better start thinking about how I'm going to explain this to Nuzleaf…'_

 **A few minutes later, Foreboding Forest, Indigo's POV**

Walking down paths and taking mental notes of what turns I've taken was definitely struggling to do at first. Being alone didn't help very much, leading me to constantly tense at the sound of the slightest rustle. Bird Pokémon definitely got on my nerves after a while, but maybe that's not too surprising considering my type…

When I noticed the greenery around me suddenly turn not-so-green, it took me a bit of reassuring before I remembered my destination. Yet, I couldn't help but feel unsure with every step I took.

 _How much longer do I have to keep walking? The leaves around me can't get any darker than this, can they? Am I… am I going the wrong way?_

Then, right as I take note of how admittedly cool-looking this shade of purple is on the leaves, voices reach my ears. Seeing the familiar Deerling and Shelmet in the distance leaves me with an overwhelming wave of relief. The Pancham that was mention is here too.

"So you're saying he hasn't even come back out yet?!" I hear Deerling yell.

"You got that right!" The Pancham responds arrogantly, sounding proud of himself. "He could've just ended up scared stiff in there for all we know!"

"He shoulda just kept his mouth shut instead of talking big! Ha!" Shelmet speaks up, just as arrogant. "Now look where that got him!"

The noticeable anger in Deerling's eyes is enough to make me hide behind a tree. _Technically… I'm eavesdropping… but…_

All of a sudden, Deerling turns around on her hooves and knocks Pancham and Shelmet to the ground with a forceful kick of her hind hooves.

"How could you two do this! Goomy's younger than us, you know!" She yells furiously. "What if something happened to him?! This is a mystery dungeon, so there are hostile Pokémon in there, you know! You know what, if you two aren't going to do anything, I'm going in after him!"

"W-Wait, no!" Pancham protests, he and Shelmet immediately getting back up to their feet and blocking Deerling off. "You know how dangerous the Pokémon are in there! We wouldn't forgive ourselves if something bad happened to you! You're our idol, Deerling!"

"Y-Yeah!" Shelmet adds. "We wouldn't want a Pokémon as precious as you getting hurt or anything!"

"Oh, you'd feel bad if something happened to me, but no remorse or anything like that for Goomy! Shame on you two!" Deerling exclaims. "You know what, how about you two go in, huh?!"

Pancham and Shelmet then jump back in surprise, even more than when Deerling kicked them in their faces.

"W-What? In there?" Pancham responds, all traces of stuck up gone from his voice. "No way!"

"What he said!" Shelmet adds, with a similar tone as he rapidly shakes his head. "No way!"

"Don't take this the wrong way, Deerling," Pancham continues. "We've just… uh…"

Deerling narrows her eyes. "You two are scared, aren't you?"

"... yes." Pancham lowers his head, Shelmet following.

Deerling sighs. "Well, if you won't let me go, and you two just refuse to go, then…"

 _Now's my chance…_

"I'll… I'll go."

With a gingerly step to my pace, I emerge from behind the tree's trunk to be greeted by the three's curious stares.

Pancham raises an eyebrow. "Wait, were you standing there the whole time?"

"Y-Yes…"

Shelmet joins in. "And… did you say you'd go in there to get Goomy?"

I slowly nod. "Y-Yeah… I'm new around Serene Village, so I just thought I'd help…"

"Suit yourself then…" Pancham says with a shrug. "It's no skin off our backs if something happens to you."

"You're new here?" Deerling asks, a hint of compassion in her voice. "You do know this place is called Foreboding Forest for a reason, right?"

"As if the foliage here wasn't enough…" I respond. "Well… I did come all the way here… and I don't have much else to do at the moment… so…"

"Well, regardless… it's still nice knowing you'd willingly help us, unlike _some Pokémon,"_ Deerling sneaks a glare at Pancham and Shelmet once more. "You two! What was Goomy even doing there!"

The sudden yell causes them to visibly flinch, the volume almost getting to me. _I… I don't want to mess with this Deerling…_

Pancham eventually speaks up with a shaky voice. "Uh… so you see, when Shelmet and I went exploring this place a long time ago when the hostiles weren't as active, we left a blank tarp there. Exploring a place like that really took a lot out of us, so we needed a place to sit and rest for a while…"

"But then while we were eating Apples, we got ambushed by the hostile Pokémon, and we booked it out of there!" Shelmet adds, his tone livening up. "You should've seen Pancham's face! Just thinking about it cracks me up!"

Pancham visibly scowls, shutting Shelmet's helmet. "So since that paper is still in there somewhere, we got Goomy to go in there to find the paper, write his name on it, and bring it back here."

I speak up. "And… he hasn't come back? I… I should really just go ahead now before we waste anymore time…"

With a deep breath, I clutch the map in my paws and head down to where the trees get denser.

I hear Deerling call out to me. "Take care… uh… Riolu!"

 _I… forgot to introduce myself properly, didn't I?_

I sigh.

 _Well… there's no point going back now. I'd just humiliate myself… Here's to hoping this goes better than my first mystery dungeon…_

* * *

 _Purple hallway of leaves after purple hallway of leaves… stairs too… and still no Goomy…_

 _Am I… doing something wrong? I like to think I've been doing surprisingly well against the… few hostile Pokémon I've encountered… occasionally playing around with these Wand sticks I've been finding from time to time…_

Right as I think this, I find myself in an open room where a Stantler, a Starly, and a Furfrou staring me down. Quickly looking around, I notice several berries, Apples, and those Wand sticks scattered on the floor.

 _Items scattered on the floor… I think I can use this…_

The Starly suddenly swoops my way beak-first, leading me to dodge with a burst of speed flowing to my legs. I focus my Quick Attack and speedily swing my foot towards the Starly's face, barely missing the beak. The impact sends it reeling towards the Furfrou, hitting them both. With those two distracted, I bolt towards the nearest Wand on the floor.

 _Okay… I don't know why… but something in my senses recognize this as a Slumber Wand…_

I get pushed back to the wall by a Stantler's Tackle, almost falling over as I reel. I quickly recover from the recoil and slam a Force Palm on the Stantler's face, sending it back and offering me another opening. I pick up the nearby Slumber Wand and firmly grip it.

The Starly swoops back in the air and dives toward me, trying the same tactic from before. However, rather than playing evasive maneuvers, I swing the stick Starly's way. As I do so, a mystical orb-shaped projectile of some sort shoots out of the Wand's tip and disappears as soon as it makes contact with the Starly. Its eyes suddenly shut, throwing its aim off guard and leaving it to crash into the ground. Despite this, it still quietly snores away.

I stare at the Wand in astonishment. _It… it worked!_

My moment of brief triumph is interrupted when the Furfrou headbutts me, leaving me to drop the Wand in the process. After regaining my balance to see it charging at me with a follow-up blow. A wave of concentrated energy washes over me as I prepare for another blow. I retract a paw and feel the energy flow through it. As soon as the energy manifests to the point where I can basically feel its intensity ready to be unleashed, I thrust it forward, a blue orb of some sort blasts from my paw.

 _W-Wait… that wasn't a Force Palm!_

My eyes remain fixated on the blue orb I just fired as it whizzes around the room in an unpredictable pattern before plummeting to the ground in front of the Furfrou. The impact causes it to blow up, kicking up a cloud of dust that causes me to shield my eyes.

When the cloud settles, not only do I see a small crater where the ground once was, but lying within are the fainted Furfrou, Stantler, and Starly.

I blink. _Was I… always capable of doing that?_

With a sigh, I frantically look around me for anything else lying on the floor. Fortunately, despite being dropped, the map avoided being damaged. I pick it up and take a look at what's left.

 _Wands… Apples… gold coins? Is that… actual money? That's something I definitely want to take with me… but I need a bag of some sort…_

Out of nowhere, an idea suddenly strikes me. I look down at my paws and recall my Force Palm. _It does have a chance of paralysis… but…_

Despite anything in my mind saying otherwise, an instinct deep within me tells me to go through with it. I reach into the walls of foliage and pull out a limber branch. With another paw, I pull out a pawful(?) of leaves. I press the two against each other and let loose a weak Force Palm jolt at the point where they both meet. When I let my paw go, I widen my eyes to see that they're both stuck to each other.

 _Wow… that… actually worked… why did that work?_

I quickly shake my head. _But… whatever the case… I can definitely work with this…_

* * *

 _It's… it's done! I have a bag now! I… may have used up a lot of leaves and branches… but I have a bag!_

Taking a second to admire the pouch and its shoulder strap, I pick my purple-leafed bag up and check its makeshift flap.

 _It's… not the most comfortable to wear… but it should get the job done, I hope…_

I quickly scoop up what items I can. Fortunately, with every little thing I toss in, my bag doesn't spontaneously collapse into a mess of leaves, which is already a good sign.

 _Okay… these Apples will certainly help when I'm hungry… these Oran Berries in case I get hurt… and this Warp Wand… hmm… I don't see why no-_

All of a sudden, the sound of stampeding makes me fumble with the Wand in my paws, my mind immediately flashing a brief memory. Panic entering my system, my instincts force me to grip my Warp Wand even tighter, clumsily swinging it. Right as I do so, a bright light suddenly engulfs me, blinding my vision and forcing me to cry out.

Before I get the chance to shield my eyes, the light suddenly fades away to reveal more of Foreboding Forest's scenery. It takes me a few second of dumbfounded blinking to realize I'm in a completely different area than where I was before, judging by the lack of a crater.

In the silence I'm given, I look around me to see that I'm in a large empty hallway-like path of some sort. But as to how I got here…

I look down at the Warp Wand in my paws, its tip pointed towards me instead of away. _Of course I made that mistake… guess I better learn not to mess too much with these things when I panic…_

I pick up the Wand and put it in my bag, but as I do so, I catch a glimpse of what's at the end of this stretch of a path. A large dead end room… but not an empty one.

 _Is that…?_ I quicken my pace to a a jog and make my way there.

My thoughts are confirmed when I see a short slime-like figure sobbing in the area's corner, a tarp of some sort lying nearby.

 _Could it be…_ I take a second to glance over the five letters written on the tarp. … _okay… this is definitely Goomy…_

I shift my attention back to a corner to see Goomy still weeping. I cautiosly approach him. "Hey-"

"Gyaaahhhhhh!" He suddenly cries out with a voice as quivering as his stature, turning around with pleading tear-filled eyes. "P-Please don't hurt me!"

"W-W-Wait, I'm here to help you!" I exclaim back, waving my paws in a defensive gesture.

"Oh…" The shaky stare in his eyes melts into relief. He then presses himself against my leg. "T-Thank you… thank you so much! I was so scared! There were too many Fairy types! I just couldn't take it! Mr. Mime and Spritzee everywhere!"

 _Agh!_ I wince as Goomy remains leaning against my leg. _I… should've seen this coming…!_

I muster a comforting tone. "You… don't have to worry now… I'll bring you back to your… uh… friends now…"

He looks up at me with gratitude in his eyes. "Yes, thank you thank you thank you!"

"Er… no problem… Just… stay close to me, okay?" I say, reaching for the tarp and shoving it into my bag. "Okay… now to get out of here…"

* * *

 _Fingers crossed, here we go, you better work this time!_

The bright light around Goomy and I fades, and I look around the area once more.

"A-Are we at the entrance yet?" Goomy asks, still hiding behind me. "Or did the Wand break from overuse?"

I take a look around us, sighing to see we've arrived at our destination. "Actually… both." I look down at my paws to see my Warp Wand snapped in half. I toss it aside.

"Goomy!" The two of us turn around to see Deerling approaching us. "You're okay!"

Pancham and Shelmet approach us as well, but with looks that aren't as relieved.

"Well, did you get it?" Pancham asks with an impatient frown. "Or did you wimp out?"

"W-What?" Goomy asks with a drooping look, his relieved tone fading away.

"The tarp, the tarp!" Shelmet exclaims.

"O-Oh, that! Uh… I did it!" Goomy responds, sounding defensive. "B-But… wait… I think I forgot to bring it back…"

"Actually… I have it here." I pull it out of my bag and hold it out.

"Lemme see that!" Pancham snatches the it away from me. After staring at it for a bit, he snickers. "Heh, look at this handwriting! It's so sloppy! Did you _actually_ write on this using your slime?!"

"H-Hey! I tried my best!" Goomy yells with an evident flustered tone.

"Just you wait all the other Pokémon at school hear about this!" Shelmet adds. "Let's go, Pancham!"

The two bullies (I can call them bullies at this point, right?) then dash off with the tarp, laughing to themselves.

I find myself with a scowl of my own. "They… really are full of themselves, aren't they?"

"They really are, but don't worry. I'll make sure they don't get away with anything else," Deerling says to me firmly. "They may seem like stubborn bullies, but they always seem to listen to me for… some reason."

"Y-Yeah… they're a bit much… but I think I'll get used to it eventually…" Goomy slithers over to me and bows his head. "You still saved me and all… so I really owe you, Indigo."

Deerling gives me a curious stare. "Your name's Indigo?"

"Oh… right… I haven't introduced myself properly…" I rub the back of my head sheepishly. "Indigo's my name, and I'm new here… wait, did I say that already?"

Deerling cracks a smile. "I'm pretty sure I remember you mentioning that." She pauses. "Though, I don't think I noticed any new houses being built… How'd you move in?"

"Well… it's a bit of a complicated story… I was actually taken in by Nuzleaf…"

 _Nuzleaf…_

I widen my eyes as the realization snaps. The mention of Mr. Nuzleaf's name immediately reminds me of my current situation with him and where he told me to go. That place being _not here._

"A-Anyways…" I speak up before Deerling could ask me another question. "... I have to run! Uh… sorry! And… uh… see you later!"

All I catch are Deerling and Goomy's dumbfounded expressions before my legs do the rest.

* * *

Leaving Foreboding Forest to see the sky bearing a similar dark shade already left me with a bad feeling, giving me more incentive to pick up my pace. Just hoping for the slight offchance that Nuzleaf didn't come back yet.

However, rushing back into the house through the unlocked main door was enough for the realization to settle in.

I lower my head as Nuzleaf's yells continue reaching my ears, clutching my strap of purple leaves.

"And after I done told you not to leave the house! You could've passed out again for cryin' out loud! What would've I done then?!"

"I… I can explain…" I try to speak up, but trail off.

Nuzleaf continues. "You best listen to me next time, you hear?!" As he utters those last two words, he lets out a breath, taking a calmer tone. "But… I suppose I can't blame ya. 'Twas just the worried adult in me speakin'. Didn't wanna lose you again and all."

I look up at the sound of his softened tone. _Nuzleaf…_

He smiles at me. "Even if I don't have a clue about what all your human hubbub is about, if there's anything I do understand, it's that sense of adventure you young 'uns have. I know that itch to see the wider word that's out there. Grown-up will always be sayin' you can't do this, that, or the other, but there are some things in life you'll never fully except by experiencin' them for yourself. You follow?"

"Hmm?" My ears perk up at the realization that it's my turn to speak. "Well… yeah… I don't think I would've been able to get a good grasp of my moves if I didn't head out there…"

He nods, his smile growing to look proud. "I reckon I'm pretty lax when it comes to adventurin' and what have you. So if you get a hankerin' to go wherever about around the village, you go right ahead. Even after what happened today with you leaving the house and all, I reckon I still can't get that mad at you."

"W-W-Well…" I take a second to gather my words. "I'm glad to hear that… but in my defense, I didn't actually head out on my own… Some Snivy dragged me out the window… so I went to Foreboding Forest to help some Pokémon and… uh… made this bag."

Nuzleaf pauses, only to let out a laugh after a second of silence. "So Carracosta's kid was causing mischief again? Well, don't worry about her too much. Neighbours will be neighbours." He steps forward to lay a hand on my shoulder. "I reckon you get some sleep now, Indigo. You've been through a lot today, bein' chased, goin' to a forest, makin' that nice lookin' bag and all. Tomorrow mornin', you'll be attendin' class at the local school. Tuckin' in early tonight will help you get ready for your first big day."

 _Oh yeah… that… I almost forgot…_ I nod. "Y-Yes…"

Nuzleaf smiles as he waves me off to my room. "Y'know, you're quite the obedient one, Indigo. I reckon we'll get along real nice."

I find myself smiling as well. "Thanks."

He gives me a pat on my back. "Good night, Indigo."

I gingerly wave at him with my paw as I walk towards my room, Nuzleaf slowly making his way towards his. "Good night, Mr. Nuzleaf…"

With all sounds of conversation coming to a halt, I look down to see my straw bed sitting in its position, as if waiting for me. Slowly, I lay my side against the straw and shift, eventually reaching a comfortable position where I keep my knees close to me and lay my paws beneath my head.

I close my eyes, drowning out the dark of the night with some more dark.

 _Today was weird…_

I quietly sigh to myself. Today was far too eventful for me to just _not_ dwell on.

 _I got chased by some Beheeyem, given shelter by a Nuzleaf, and saved a Goomy…_ I suddenly remember my entire furred presence. _And of course… I'm a Riolu now… I have way too many questions… and so little time…_

 _You have school tomorrow, too. Nuzleaf told you to sleep, did he not?_

Eventually, I come to terms with with my thoughts and let sleep take me, even if I can't help but remain with a sense of wonder for answers.


	3. 3: Warming Up

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 3 - Warming Up**

 **The next morning, Principal's Office, Indigo's POV**

 _I wonder… I wonder what school here is like…_

 _Is it… just about mystery dungeon exploring, or…_

"Indigo, these two here are Vice Principal Watchog and Principal Simipour," Nuzleaf introduces. "Now, go on, show your manners and say hello!"

"Oh… uh…" I suddenly snap out of my trance upon the mention of my name, suddenly becoming aware of my presence in a neatly kept little office-looking area. I meekly lower my head in an attempt to bow. "Hello… I'm Indigo…"

"Hmph! Hopefully you won't be a troublesome newcomer!" The Watchog says, slowly walking up to me from the room's desk and giving me a stern glare.

His tone strikes a quivering nerve, causing me to lower my head further.

"Uh… sorry… in advance… just in case something happens…" I say quietly.

"Oh, please don't mind Mr. Watchog. He's usually like this with first impressions," Simipour says to me from behind the desk with a tone matching his smile. He then breaks into a whisper and leans closer to me. "Don't worry… he's softer than he seems… He just likes to make the most out of his authority."

"You bet I appreciate my authority!" Watchog responds, this time standing up proudly. "I can't wait until _I_ become the principal! All I need to do is wait four more years until I can nominate myself again!"

"Uh…" I speak up, trying to sound formal. "I don't think that's how principals work…"

"Shh…" Simipour whispers to me with a slight chuckle. "He's happy the way he is…"

Adding with a chuckle of his own, Nuzleaf turns around and heads for the room's exit. "Well, I reckon I've stayed here long enough, so I'll be seein' myself out then." He gives me a wave. "Take care, Indigo!"

I silently wave Nuzleaf off before he heads out of sight. The familiar feeling of awkward silence comes back to me as I turn around to see Watchog and Simipour giving me intent stares.

I muster my voice. "Oh… uh… so… am I also excused now?"

"Ho ho ho! You don't have to be so nervous, Indigo!" Simipour says with a warm tone. "I'm positive you'll make for a fun addition to our class! It'll be delightful for all of us! It's a good thing you came early too, so you'll have some time to get used to being he-"

"Good morning, class!" I hear someone say from outside the room.

"Good morning, Mr. Farfetch'd!" Several other voices respond.

"Oh! Never mind then!" Simipour says, his smile still there. "All the other students have arrived! It's time to introduce you to them!"

"Well… okay, Mr. Simipour… if I have to…" I clutch my bag's strap.

"That's the spirit!" Simipour gets up from his desk, gently pushing me out of the room. "It could do with more enthusiasm, but still! It's something! Come on, off you go!"

 **The Class Area, Author's POV**

After being brought out of the small hut-like structure that is Simipour's office, Indigo finds himself greeted by a sunlight to see more little structures near the Principal's office, probably other smaller rooms of importance. Down the path to a grassy opening, a Farfetch'd stands next to some sort of writing board hanging from a low reaching branch. Goomy, Pancham, Shelmet, Deerling, and an Espurr all stand nearby, nine short wooden desks in front of each of them in rows of three.

With Indigo in tow, Simipour walks down to Farfetch'd and in front of everyone else. "Everyone, this is Indigo the Riolu. He's going to be learning here with all of us. He's new here, so please do treat him well."

Indigo pauses at the realization of how many eyes are staring at him, some of them familiar. He slowly lowers his head. "Hi… everyone…"

The Pancham in the back takes some slow blinks as well, but in surprise. "Wait… aren't you the one who…"

"You're the one who helped us yesterday!" Deerling cries out, just as surprised.

"Oh? So it seems some of you are already acquainted with Indigo here," Simipour says. "Well, that should make this introduction much easier. So in case none of you knew, Indigo here moved in with Mr. Nuzleaf, who I assume you all know. So Indigo, how about you tell us how you ended up in Serene Village?"

"Well…" Indigo hesitates, carefully choosing his words. "He just happened to be there during my time of need…"

The Espurr in the middle row next to Deerling speaks up with a tone as straight as her stare, raising a paw. "Excuse me for interrupting, but I have a question. I know this might sound redundant, but do you happen to be Nuzleaf's son? He has been quite secretive lately, so I wouldn't be too surprised either way."

"Well… I'm not actually," Indigo responds, sheepishly chuckling. "He's just my… guardian, I guess… I… don't know if I have the privilege to call him a father, but… even then, I am not related to him in any way. Funny you should mention a question like that, I was actually asked a similar question by… uh…"

Indigo trails off, taking a second to eye all the desks.

' _That's… weird… I would've expected a Pokémon like her to be here…'_

A familiar voice accompanied by the sound of running reaches Indigo's ears. "I'm going to be la-a-a-ate! Again!"

' _Speak of the devil…'_

Indigo directs his stare to the wooden archway of the school's entrance to see a Snivy dart past it, dashing right towards the path to the class area. Running to right to where he is.

The realization of the Snivy's blind dash strikes Indigo at the last second, leading him to pull off a spontaneous sidestep away.

' _Whoa… that… was close…'_ Indigo sighs in relief, reaching for his shoulder. ' _I guess that answers my question… wait… where'd my bag go?'_

The Riolu glances at his shoulder, only to see the purple leafed object in question in the face of a still-blindly dashing Snivy.

As Fia's blind dash brings her in repeated circles around the class area (to the amusement of some), a sudden turn into a vacant desk causes her to trip. She cries out, the bag covering her face falling off. It lands to the ground with an impact that causes a bright orb-shaped projectile to fly out of its open flap. Right towards Indigo.

Before he can even utter the thought to dodge, Indigo is struck by the projectile and collapses on the spot, already snoring.

Meanwhile, the Snivy picks herself up from the ground, still as cheerful as can be, even as she looks around at the shocked eyes directed at her.

"Well, that was exciting!" Taking note of the desk's position in front of her, she stares ahead to see Farfetch'd and Simipour with concerned expressions. "So… Mr. Farfetch'd, Mr. Simipour, what'd I miss?" It's only when Fia notices that the eyes of concern are directed to the figure on the ground instead of her does she realize. "Oh."

 **Indigo's POV**

 _Urgh… what… what happened? Where… am I?_

…

 _Wait… I already thought this… again…_

I regain control of my senses and stir, immediately feeling the straw bed beneath me.

 _Am I… in Nuzleaf's house?_

Lifting my heavy eyelids, I take a second to yawn. Slowly propping myself back on my feet, I look around myself to see a familiar circular room, but with details that aren't in my room in Nuzleaf's house. Not only is the window larger, letting in more sunlight, but there are some noticeably grown potted plants, as well as the presence of several other straw beds nearby.

All of a sudden, a throbbing pain strikes, immediately causing me to clutch at my head with my paws as I let out a mix of a groan and a cry of pain.

"Oh goodness, you've awoken! Stay calm, here, drink this."

Taking a second to breathe, I follow the sound of the gentle voice to see an Audino holding out her paw to me, offering a cup of some light blue juice. I look up at the Audino's soft smile. With how non-oppressive her voice sounded, questioning this drink's credibility would seem like insulting her, so I take the drink and down it without a second thought.

Shortly after I swallow, the pain in my head gives way to a soothing wave washing itself over my body, a familiar feeling of rejuvenation following.

I take a deep breath and let out a relieved sigh, handing the glass back to Audino. "Thanks… what's in this, anyway?"

"Crushed Heal Seed mixed with Oran Berry. It helps with the headaches Slumber Wands give you after you wake up."

 _Wait… Slumber Wand?_ The details slowly resurface.

I look up at the Audino with a distraught look. "W-What happened after I passed out?"

"I brought you here and waited for you to wake up. I really should introduce myself." She gives me a smile. "You may call me Ms. Audino. I work here as the school nurse, but I'm also Serene Village's head doctor. If there's anything happens to anyone in the village, I'm here."

 _The… village's head doctor? Then… why haven't I met you sooner?_

"W-Well… nice to meet you…" I slowly lower my head. "I'm Indigo…"

She lets out a quiet chuckle. "I'm well aware. Class has already started without you, so you better get back there."

"You're… you're right!" I quickly whip my gaze towards the room's exit. "T-Thanks, Ms. Audino…"

"One more thing, Indigo…" Audino walks over to a nearby desk, coming back as she holds up a familiar purple strap. "You'll need this."

"Oh… t-that, thanks…" I accept the bag and lower my head once more. "I'll… be, uh… off now…"

 _It's a good thing I heard about that bag call at the last second… Hopefully the stuff inside isn't too damaged from when Fia landed on it…_

Once I end up outside the nurse's office, I quickly lift my bag's flap and look through the contents.

 _Wands still here… berries here… Apples here… the few Seeds I got are still here… Wait, come to think of it, how am I so familiar with all these items in the first place?_

 _Wait a second… was this note always in my bag?_

 **Author's POV**

"... some good examples of this are all the fully evolved Fire types able to learn Solarbeam, that is, except for Flareon, Incineroar, and Salazzle," Farfetch'd says, pointing his stalk towards some disc-shaped drawings on the writing board. As he does so, he notices Indigo standing outside the nurse's office. "Oh! Indigo! You're okay now! Come now, rejoin the class and find a seat."

The sudden mention of his name surprises the Riolu as he hastily puts a small note back into his bag, barely given any time to glance over it. He quickly runs down the path leading down from the nurse's office hut joins the class area. He looks over all the little wooden desks and takes note of how they're all occupied. That is, except for an empty one next to Fia, an empty one next to Espurr, and an empty one next to Shelmet.

"Go on now, Indigo. Take your seat." Farfetch'd urges.

Indigo takes a second to weigh his decisions. ' _Uh… I can either sit next to that overexcited Snivy who put me to sleep… the Espurr who asked me about Nuzleaf… or that Shelmet bully.'_

A few more seconds pass as Indigo thinks, everyone else intently staring at him.

' _Hmm… you know what, I think I'll just sit next to Espu-'_

"Psst! Indigo! Over here!" Fia whispers loudly to the Riolu, motioning to the empty 'seat' next to her. "Come on, sit here! Please? I'd like someone else as a seatmate to talk to other than shy Goomy here…"

' _Urgh… I… can't just deny a request like this when she's already spoken_ _ **this**_ _loud for everyone to here…'_

"A-Alright…" Indigo slowly takes my place at the empty desk to Fia's left.

"Excellent!" Farfetch'd says. "And now with that over with, now to continue our lesson… where was I? Oh, that's right! Now, back to how versatile Technical Machines are…"

As Farfetch'd continues his discussion, Fia proceeds to lean to Indigo and continue whispering. "Psst… Indigo… I'm sorry about what happened earlier… with the bag and the Slumber Wand and stuff…"

Indigo sighs before whispering back. "Well… it was an accident… so I don't really mind, I guess…" ' _I guess the apology helps…'_

"Yay! I've actually been forgiven!" Fia suddenly exclaims. "As if yesterday already wasn't enough of a sign, I can tell we're going to be great friends!"

Indigo can't help but smile a bit at the contagious tone. "Well… I'd say you're exaggerating about yesterday… but sure… friends."

"Ahem! Indigo and Fia! I can hear you talking!" Farfetch'd yells, waving his stalk at them. "Now, pay attention! Ahem… back to what I was saying about Hidden Power and Toxic…"

The two spend a second of quiet after Farfetch'd's yell, keeping their eyes glued to the board. A moment of silence passes before Fia breaks it by continuing to whisper.

"Oh… uh… sorry about getting us into that scolding, Indigo…" Fia whispers. "We're… still friends, right?" She quietly giggles.

"I don't really see why not, I guess…" Indigo follows up with a faint smile.

' _She's troublesome, sure… But… I guess I can get used to it.'_

* * *

The breeze blows through the area at a slightly stronger rate, stirring a low branch of wind chimes near the class area.

Farfetch'd is the first to take notice. "That's the bell! Well, that's class dismissed, everyone! Be sure to remember all I told you about TMs, because tomorrow, there's going to be a test on what we covered today!"

A series of disappointed groans can be heard from the students as Farfetch'd walks up the winding path to the teacher's lounge hut.

"Enjoy your recess!" Farfetch'd calls out.

Fia is the first to speak up once Farfetch'd is out of earshot ."Oh, come on! A test already?! I can barely even remember the exact detailed process of how Pokémon learn moves via Technical Machines!"

"I'm already struggling trying to recall the reason why some moves are available through Technical Machines and why some aren't!" Goomy cries out.

"Uh…" Espurr attempts to speak up from the classroom's middle row. "I didn't think it was that ba-"

"W-Wait… do you guys think this test will cover reusable and non-reusable TMs?" Indigo speaks up. He quickly shakes his head. "A-Actually… I don't want to think about it… I'll just eat…"

Everyone else follows on in agreement when they take out their own snacks from beneath their desks. Meanwhile, Indigo pulls an Apple out of his bag and gets to eating. However, he stops halfway when he notices the Snivy fixating her curious eyes on him.

Indigo pauses to swallow. "Do you… uh… want an Apple too?"

"No, no, not that. I already packed some food under my desk too." She shifts her gaze to stare past his shoulder. "I'm just curious about your bag… I don't remember seeing that in the Kecleon store."

"That's… uh… because I didn't buy it," Indigo responds, proceeding to take a bite out of his Apple. "I… made it. At Foreboding Forest."

"Ooh… You went to Foreboding Forest _and_ made a bag there?" Fia responds excitedly. Her eyes suddenly widen with more intrigue. "Wait, what were you even doing in Foreboding Forest, anyway? How did you even know where it was? And why Foreboding Forest specifically?"

' _Back at it again with the questions…'_ Indigo pauses. "W-Well… I was helping Goomy…"

At the mention of his name, the Dragon type looks up from his spot on Fia's right, catching Indigo and Fia's attention. "I… still need to properly thank you… I don't know what I would've done, really!"

Deerling gets up from her desk and approaches as well, wearing a grateful smile. "He's right about that, Indigo. I didn't expect a complete stranger like you to be willing to help us!"

Espurr joins in. "I'm interested in what happened. Is it okay if I ask?"

Indigo hesitates, taking a second to process the overwhelming amount of attention on him. "W-Well… it can't be that big of a deal… all I did was head into a forest and help someone out…"

' _I… didn't think getting locked out of Nuzleaf's house would lead to all this attention on my first day of school… I… I think I can get used to this…'_

Meanwhile, Pancham and Shelmet watch from their seats in the far back.

"Look at him…" Pancham glares on, forcefully taking a munch out of his Apple. "Just because he did one thing, he's getting all the attention from everyone else…"

"Just seeing that Riolu kid getting attention from everyone is making me jealous… especially since Deerling is just pouring her all of her attention over him…" Shelmet adds. His eyes narrow into a sneer. "Deerling…"

Pancham notices the malicious hiss in Shelmet's tone. "Oh… uh… don't you think you're being too possessive? It's… just Deerling, you know… She's cool and all, but-"

Shelmet whips his gaze towards Pancham. "I know."

"Well… regardless, we still need to come up with a payback plan…" Pancham says, bringing his disapproving stare back at the commotion. "That Riolu won't seem so hot after dealing with something far worse than Foreboding Forest…"

"Don't worry about it, Pancham…" Shelmet says. "I've already started to come up with a plan…"

The two start whispering amongst themselves for a bit.

"Heh…" Pancham snickers. "This should _definitely_ teach that Riolu that things aren't all fun and games here…"

"And leave a mark. Don't forget that part." Shelmet adds.

 **Hours later, Indigo's POV**

"Okay, everyone! That's the bell!" Watchog says to all of us. "That also concludes our lesson on items found in mystery dungeons! This also means it's time for all of us to go home! So what you waiting for?!"

As I start packing up my items and written notes, I notice everyone else already leaving their desks and heading towards the wooden entrance archway.

 _Well, I better go as well…_

I quickly pick up my bag and follow their path, ending up running past almost everyone else.

I notice Farfetch'd standing by the archway as I run past him. "Goodbye, everyone!" He calls out. See you tomorrow! Don't forget about the test!"

 _The… test…_

I end up slowing down to a walk as I continue down the path back to Serene Village's plaza area.

"Hey! Indigo! Wait up!" I then turn around to see a familiar running up to me. She takes a few pants before speaking. "I just realized… since we're friends _and_ neighbours, how about we walk home together?"

"Uh… sure…" I reply. "But… uh… I have a question out of curiosity… how close are we as neighbours, anyway? Is your house really that close to mine?"

"You didn't notice?" Fia responds. "You live in the house that for some reason looks like a Nuzleaf, right? Well, I live in a house that for some reason looks like a Carracosta! It's right next to your house, too! I don't know why Pops and Nuzleaf's houses are the only houses in the village to be modeled after them, but that's besides the point…"

 _Oh… that house with shades of blue…_

"So… I'm sorry about not being able to finish showing you around the village yesterday… Had something I needed to deal with, you know," Fia continues, cheery tone and all. "I know! How about I show you someplace really good? Like, _really_ good?"

"Uh… depends…" I respond. "Nuzleaf might not like unscheduled outings like these… How far away is it?"

"Not too far at all, actually! It's just a short ways outside the village! You might've already seen it! But trust me, you'll really like this place!"

"Well… alright… if you say so…"

"Yay! Come on, this way!" Fia exclaims, running ahead. "Follow me!"

"W-Wait, hold up!" I make an attempt to pick up my pace.

As I continue following Fia's trail down the path, I notice two other figures standing ahead, as if waiting for us to pass by. It only takes me a second to realize who they are.

"Hey! Hold it right there!" Pancham yells.

"Yeah!" Shelmet adds.

 _I'd… rather not…_

I don't respond with more than a glance and rush past them, Fia doing so as well.

"Hey! Come on, I took the trouble to run ahead to tell you to hold it and everything!" I hear Pancham cry out.

Fia suddenly reels to a stop, forcing me to do so as well. "Oh? Are you talking to us? Well, we're kinda in the middle of something, so…"

"You. Fia. Stay out of this," Shelmet responds, glaring. "It's Indigo here we want to deal with."

"Me?" I pause, an idea coming to me. "Well, we're kind of in the middle of something, so…"

" _Shut up!"_ Pancham yells. "You know what, smart guy, smirk all you want. We have a challenge for you. One involving a mystery dungeon."

 _And… why should I-_

Fia quickly speaks up with an excited tone. "Ooh, mystery dungeons? I'll go!"

"Stay out of this!" Pancham exclaims, briefly facing Fia before turning back to face me. "Now, Indigo, even if you think you're all special after that incident in Foreboding Forest, there's a specific mystery dungeon we'd like you to go to. Only then will we admit that you have some real guts."

"Wait… you want me to do something for the sake of… my guts?" I pause to process their words. "But… I really don't have anything to lose by not accepting your challenge… It's not like you're holding my dignity hostage…"

"I wanna go I wanna go!" Fia chants, practically hopping up and down with excitement.

" _No one is talking to you, you Expedition Society member wannabe!"_ Pancham yells at Fia, this time sounding even angrier. He then faces me once again. "So… Indigo… suit yourself. Shelmet and I here are going to leave to that mystery dungeon now. If you'd really like to earn our respect, then follow us to prove yourself."

The two of them then walk away down the path, and I sigh with relief as they leave my sight.

"Well… glad that stupid exchange is over with… I thought they'd never leave…" I say. "So… Fia… about that place you were going to show me…"

"I wanna go to that mystery dungeon they were talking about!" Fia exclaims excitedly, apparently unfazed by Pancham's insult earlier. "Come on come on come on! Let's follow them, Indigo!"

"Wait wait wait," I protest. "What about- agh!"

Without a warning, I'm forced to pick my pace up when Fia drags me off, clutching me by the paw.

 _Oh, for the love of Arceus, not again!_

 _And I was just warming up to you, too!_


	4. 4: Treasured Friendships

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 4 - Treasured Friendships**

 **About an hour later, Drilbur Coal Mine, Author's POV**

A gaping cave mouth stands tall and wide, the two wooden pillars beside it only complimenting its size. As if that isn't enough, several Drilbur, as tiny as can be in comparison, all walk out with piles of rocks in their claws. Slowly, they all waddle over to one of the wooden pillars, the sounds of their claws at work taking up the looming silence from before.

"W-We're doing well, everybody… we might get this place secluded if we keep it up!" A Drilbur rallies, trying to sound as encouraging as possible with his naturally nervous tone.

The rest of the Drilbur all respond, their half-hearted cheers echoing around them.

The echoes of these cheers reach four listening figures behind a distant rock.

"Okay… this is the place…" Pancham whispers, taking safety peeks at the Drilbur.

"You see that entranceway ahead?" Shelmet motions with his mouth. "You see, not only is that an entrance to the coal mine of those Drilbur, but it's also a mystery dungeon."

"I… really don't see why I should still be going through with this…" Indigo cuts in. "I mean, Fia _finally_ let go of my… uh… paw and all, so there's nothing stopping me from not sticking arou-"

"Wait, I never knew that this place was also a mystery dungeon!" Fia interrupts. "So what do we do once we get inside?"

"Well, once _Indigo_ gets inside, he'll eventually come across a fork in the cave," Shelmet responds with a sneer directed towards the Snivy. "One path just continues down the mine, and the other… well, that's the path we want him to go. Let's just say you'll know which path is which once you see them. Once you go deep enough in the correct path, you'll find some gems at the very bottom. Bring some back here, and we'll admit that Indigo here has some real guts."

Indigo sighs, putting a paw to his head. "How about we just… leave? Actually… you… you know what, I don't need to ask you if we can leave. Come on, Fia. Let's…" He suddenly looks around himself to see the absence of a familiar green.

Panic suddenly reaching him, he takes a look over their hiding spot to see the Snivy in question walking right up to the Drilbur.

' _Fia, what the heck are you doing?!'_

At the sudden realization of the presence of another, all of the Drilbur stop in place. Only one of them musters the courage to turn around and face the approaching Snivy. "Uh… y-you're one of the children of the village, right? W-What're you doing here? Children aren't allowed here…"

"Oh. I know." Fia replies without a care in the world. "But still! There are some gems I need to get!"

The Drilbur hesitates, looking Fia up and down. ' _B-But… but you don't look like you could be the one…'_ "W-Wait… gems?! Those are at the very bottom of this mine! Y-You can't be serious!"

Fia's eyes suddenly narrow slightly as she gives the Drilbur a glare. "Oh, I am serious. Look into my eyes. See how serious I am?"

"Uh…" The Drilbur continues quivering in place as Fia continues gazing at him. "I don't think I can- ack!"

The Drilbur's quivering comes to a complete halt when he freezes in place and falls on his side, completely petrified. The other Drilbur immediately notice this and get back to work, completely dismissing Fia's presence.

"Hee hee hee! Looks like that worked!" Fia giggles. She turns around to see Indigo still watching her from the rock. "Okay, Indigo! Come on, let's go!"

"Uh…" Indigo responds, slowly backing away. "I think I'll pa- agh!"

He cries out when he loses his balance and is dragged across the floor by a vine clutching his tail. Pancham and Shelmet watch on as the two disappear into the cave mouth, the sounds of Indigo's struggling falling silent.

"Well… that's one way of getting rid of him…" Pancham remarks with a stunned look. "Even got rid of Fia too."

"Heh, it's a double win for us!" Shelmet exclaims.

Pancham's look livens. "It is! Now come on, up top!" He holds up his paw.

Shelmet merely responds with a disapproving stare.

"What?" Pancham replies. Embarrassment then hits him once he realizes, leaving him to slowly lower his paw. "Anyways… let's just book it back to Serene VIllage. We don't want whatever's at the bottom of that cave to start coming for us, too!"

"Heh, you're right!" Shelmet adds. "Let's move!"

As the two head off, the Drilbur get back to work, unfazed by the events that just happened. That is, all except one.

"A… a little help here? A-Anyone?"

 **Indigo's POV**

 _Agh… of all the things to happen… guess I really have no choice but to go through with this…_

"Okay, okay, I'll cooperate, but can you please let go of my tail?" I ask Fia. "Come on, please? Can you—ow—please stop dragging me across the ground? The rocks hurt…"

"Yay!" The grip around my tail releases. "Now, come on, let's go!"

"Hey, hey, wait a second!" I pause, paw reaching for my sore rear. "Should… should we even be here? We don't even know what kind of Pokémon we're going up against!"

Fia shrugs off my protest. "Come on, don't be such a party pooper. I mean, I handled the Drilbur on my own perfectly, didn't I?"

I recall the Drilbur. "Well… you did… wait, how did you even do that?"

"I was waiting for you to ask!" Fia responds, turning around to face me with a proud grin. "You see, that was my Glare move! Pretty neat, huh?"

 _Wait… she knows Glare?_

"See! We're gonna be fine!" Fia continues, already back to running ahead. "Look! We're already here at the two cave paths!"

"Wait… we are?"

After finally catching up with her, I look around to see that we're in a lone cave room, nothing but two cave mouths ahead of us. One boarded up with wood, and one not.

 _I really don't want to go through with this…_

"Is it… still not too late to turn back? We don't even know which way to go…"

"The one that's barred up with wood! It looks dangerous!" Fia says, already starting to crawl beneath its planks. "And if there's anything I know, dangerous means exciting! And exciting is the way to go!"

"Wait, wait, wait, I don't think you're looking at this the right way," I break into a crawl and frantically follow her. "If it's dangerous, we could get really hurt! Or… die, even!"

"Relax, we've been doing well so far," Fia replies, the both of us getting up and heading down the cave path. "I mean, if we've been doing well up to this point, then what could possibly go wro-"

A fireball suddenly whizzes past her head, silencing Fia as we both look ahead to see a Darumaka, a Larvesta, and a Litleo in our way.

 _Three Fire types… you had to jinx it, didn't you?_

"Finally! Some hostile Pokémon!" Fia says excitedly, getting into a battle stance and readying her vines. "Come on, Indigo! You can fight, right?"

"Well… I can, sort of… but still!" I respond. "They're Fire types!"

"Oh, come on, stop worrying about me!" Fia looks back at me as she whips her vines at the Darumaka. "Just fight!"

"But-"

I'm interrupted when I feel a burning pain sear me from behind, just shy off my bag's leafy strap. I quickly turn around to see a speedily hopping Larvesta.

 _Okay… that's it!_

I muster the energy for a Quick Attack and feel the speed rush to my legs. With a nimble rush, I sidestep away from another Ember fireball directed my way and manage to ram into the Larvesta with my shoulder. The impact forces me to reel to a halt as the Larvesta flies into the wall.

 _Let's get this done quick…_ I quickly clutch my bag's strap and open its flap, my other paw quickly reaching for a Slumber Wand. As I pull it out, something forcefully tugs at my paw. Before I can attempt to pull back, the surprise of the initial tug proves to be too much, forcing me to let go of my Wand.

I cry out as my Wand is clutched by a String Shot, quickly being withdrawn to the mouth of a waiting Larvesta. Seeing my opponent raise it in attempt to wave it already gets me panicking.

 _N-No! I can't afford to pass out again!_

I quickly compose myself and keep my feet planted firmly, even with the projectile flying straight my way. I concentrate energy to my retracted paw until I feel my own orb of energy hovering over my paw with an intense flare. I thrust my paw forward and launch my Focus Blast on a head-on course towards the Slumber Wand projectile.

The following impact not only causes a large of cloud of dust to blow up in front of my face, but it also sends a quick tremor to course through the ground, challenging my firmly planted stance. When the smoke clears, I'm greeted to the noticeably recoiled position of the Larvesta against the wall.

 _Okay…_ I take a deep breath once I'm sure the air is clear. … _one more hit should do it-_

I feel another tremor course through the ground, the vibration looking noticeably stronger by the wall, right where the Larvesta is. So strong, that the uneven levels of rock by the wall start shifting and cause a rain of debris to collapse onto the Larvesta.

Silence follows. Not even a hiss from beneath the pile of rubble.

 _W-W-What happened?! Did I… did I just kill it?! O-Okay… this place is unstable! I… I need to check on Fia!_

 **Fia's POV**

 _Come and get me! I dare you!_

I quickly dodge a Darumaka's Incinerate attack and follow up with my vine, grabbing it by the foot. Hearing the growling coming from behind, I quickly turn around and swing. As if by sheer luck, I manage to slam the Darumaka into a Litleo, pinning them both to the ground.

 _Hah! And Indigo didn't think I could handle this on my own! As amusing as his worrying was, he obviously had nothing to worry abou- hey, ow ow ow!_

A sudden burning pain makes me cry out, flinching to see the Darumaka biting down on my vine with a Fire Fang.

"Okay, I'm on fire now! I'm on fire!" I yell, flailing my burning vine around. "Ow ow ow ow ow!"

After several more seconds of flailing my vine, I finally manage to put the fire out and withdraw it, only to see the Darumaka and the Litleo in front of me fire a combined fire attack. The two attacks form a giant fireball that leaves me wide-eyed as it flies my way.

 _Where's Pops to put out fires like this when I need him…_

"Fia, watch out!"

Before I can bring myself to jump out of the way, I'm pushed out of the way and sent reeling across the floor. With the series of events leaving me dazed, I find myself being helped up.

"... Fia? Fia, are you okay?!" I finally snap out of my daze to the sound of Indigo's worried tone.

I blink, looking around me to see all the action gone. "What happened?"

"Well… you almost got hit by some big fireball… but I pushed you out of the way… even took out the rest of the hostiles…" He pauses to let out a sigh of relief, reaching for his bag. "You aren't that badly hurt, are you?" He pulls out an Oran Berry and offers it to me.

I smile at him. "Thanks for that. I'm not _that_ hurt… for the most part… but I'll still take the Oran Berry!" I take it from his paw and get to eating. "Bless your heart, Indigo. You got to have the privilege of helping yours truly! Not that I'm anything _that_ special, but still, good enough for me!" I finish my Oran Berry and clutch his paw. "Now come on, let's go!"

"W-Wait!" He fights back on my pull. "We could've died back there! The whole place could've collapsed on us! Why do you still want to go through with this?!"

I giggle. "Stop worrying! It's flattering how much you care, but still! Besides, we did fine back there! If there's anything I learned from this experience, it's that if I can defeat Fire types with your help, then I can do anything! With your help! Maybe!"

He groans. "I… really can't convince you… fine… But if anything happens, I have an Escape Orb."

"Okay, good to know!" I get back to pulling on his paw. "Now come on, let's go! We have some gems to collect!"

"O-Okay! Just… let me catch my breath!"

 **A few minutes later, Author's POV**

The descent down the Drilbur Coal Mine only proved to be more treacherous. Not much to do with the amount of hostiles present, but more to do with the increasing lack of legroom. Less hostiles, less space, and less potential to cause an echo.

To the dismay of a certain Snivy.

"It's so bo-o-o-oring here!" Fia cries out to the walls in hopes of a response. "I can't even get my voice to echo anymore!"

Indigo hushes Fia with a paw to his mouth. "Please… be quiet… This place can collapse on us at any moment…"

Fia giggles to herself with a smirk. "You worry too much! Come on, if you just get more scared the longer we're here, then let's just pick up the pace! Race ya to the bottom!"

"W-Wait!" Indigo attempts to protest, but the Snivy has already bolted off. He takes pursuit. "C-Come on! How… how do you even run so fast on those… those… tiny legs?"

"Less asking, more running!" Fia picks up her speed.

Indigo audibly pants, barely given any time to gather his breath. "L-Let me… let me catch up…"

With a deep breath, Indigo concentrates his Quick Attack energy to his legs. As soon as he does, it's not long before he becomes a blinding blur that quickly overwhelms Fia's pace.

"Hey! No fair! If you get to do that, then I get to do this!" Fia yells, whipping out a vine.

The Snivy whips her vine forward and manages to wrap it around one of Indigo's leg. As soon as she finds a grip, she yanks hard.

"Ha! See, that's what happens when you-"

Fia is then cut off whe she proceeds to bump into Indigo's stumbling figure, causing them both to fall over down the incline of the path ahead. Their tumbling continues until they eventually reach flat ground, leaving them sprawled on the rocky floor.

"Urgh… that… was something…" Indigo groans as he gets back up. "Where'd… we end up?"

Fia picks herself back on her feet as well, but with less groaning. Rather than focusing on her pain, her eyes are immediately brought to the glistening view ahead of her. "Indigo! Look!"

The Riolu stops staggering for a second to follow Fia's gaze. "Whoa… we're… actually here…"

The two take some steps forward to absorb the surroundings of the large open cave area they're in. Not only is it vast, but lining the walls of the room's back end are a sea of gems as far as the eye can see. While they're all nothing too massive, they make up for it with their collective shine and variety of coloured hues.

"Hee hee!" Fia giggles. "Looks like we've _stumbled_ into quite the-"

"N-No…" Indigo interrupts, his eyes still glued ahead. "Just… not now… I'm still… wow…"

"Well, what're we waiting for?!" Fia speaks up, perky tone and all, readying her vines. "We're here where the gems are! Come on, let's get the ones Pancham and Shelmet wanted us to get!"

Indigo pauses to blink, breaking out of his trance. "Well… technically they wanted _me_ to get it… But still… there's so many… Should we get the red ones? The blue ones? The purple ones?" A single gem in the distance catches his attention with its specific shining hue, as if beckoning to him with nothing but instinct. "Maybe… maybe we can get that one there that looks like a mix of blue and purple… there's a word for that, right?"

"Does it matter? Let's just get as many as we can!" Fia exclaims.

Before the two can take another step forward, the deep guttural sound of growling echoes around the area.

"Okay Indigo, I know you're excited, but eat an Apple if you need to!"

Indigo blinks, his quivering stance returning. "That… wasn't me…"

Fia gives him a dejected look. "If it wasn't you, but it also wasn't me… I think… then-"

"I'm afraid you won't be taking any of these gems, thieves!" The growling voice echoes.

Fia whips out her vines and takes an aggressive stance. "Who's there?!"

"I am!" A figure swoops down from the ceiling and lands right in front of Indigo and Fia, forcing the duo to jump back as the impact kicks up a flurry of sandy dust. The dust settles to reveal a Gabite, already pointing his claws in a battle stance.

Despite the Gabite's stiffly threatening stare, Fia steps forward. "Did you just call us thieves? But we're not here to steal anything! We're just here to take some- mmf mmf mmf!"

Indigo sheepishly chuckles as he keeps his paw on a struggling Fia's mouth. He barely manages to make eye contact with the Gabite without trembling. "Ha… ha… please don't mind my friend here… She's just… being silly—D-Did you just lick my paw?"

"You bet I did!" Fia proudly proclaims, giving him an aggressive stare as Indigo flicks his wet paw. "Come on Indigo, I thought we were gonna get some gems!"

"So you _are_ here to steal my gems!" Gabite yells with another echo. "Ugh, and those Drilbur were supposed to keep this place secluded! Never mind! I'll just have to kill you thieves myself!"

The look on Fia's face drains. "Hey Indigo did he just say ki-"

Before she can finish, the Snivy is pushed out of the way of a blue Dragon Rage fireball by Indigo.

"Yes… yes he did say kill," Indigo hastily says, quickly getting up and helping Fia to her feet. "Let's just… try to survive for the time being!"

With a quick turn, Indigo immediately prepares a Focus Blast over his paw and thrusts it at the Gabite dashing his way. In response, the Gabite digs a claw into the ground before thrusting it up to kick up a small Sand Tomb twister that catches the blue projectile and hurts it Indigo's way. Indigo swiftly pulls out a Warp Wand from his bag and sends a projectile to collide head on, but rather than having the impact cause an explosion, the Focus Blast projectile teleports. The blast ends up teleporting so that it's back on its course towards Gabite's face.

Indigo takes a second to stare in amazement at how his Focus Blast conveniently teleported back to its intended course, this time hitting its mark and kicking up a dust cloud that engulfs its target. ' _I've… I've gotten surprisingly lucky with Focus Blast… I would've thought it'd do more missing but-'_

The Riolu's moment of triumph is interrupted when Gabite rushes forward from the cloud, swiping a claw down. Gabite's target quickly jumps out of the way, leaving the claw lodged into the ground, but with a forceful thrust, the claw is thrust back up, hurling a flurry of sand in Indigo's face.

The sudden visual threat catches Indigo's off guard and forces him to shield his eyes, but in the process, he leaves himself vulnerable to the grip of Gabite's Sand Tomb tornado.

"You've proven yourself to be _far_ too troublesome, little Riolu!" Gabite yells, a Dragon Rage already flaring between his jaws. "If you thought you're worthy of possessing these gems, then you've got another thing coming! For this, you must _burn!"_

All of a sudden, Gabite's view of the dazed Riolu in front of him is obstructed by the upside down view of a Snivy staring right into his eyes. "Hey! Hey you! Look at me!"

"Argh!" Gabite's focus is faltered as he swipes at the Snivy perched on his head. Swipe his claws as he must, the prolonged eye contact becomes too much for Gabite as his limbs lock up, leaving his entire body petrified.

Fia lets out a relieved sigh as she jumps off Gabite's head and lands on her feet. She gives Gabite's leg a gentle nudge, causing him to fall over on his side, his position still stiff.

The Snivy skips over to the staggering Riolu and helps him reorient himself.

"Wha… wha… oh…" After putting a paw to his head at the passing dizzy spell, Indigo straightens his posture and quickly shakes his head. "Fia…? What happened?"

Fia smiles and motions to the paralyzed Gabite lying on the floor. "It's the least I can do for pushing me out of the way of the other fireballs."

"Wow…" Indigo takes a second to blink at Gabite's figure before looking back to smile at Fia. "Looks like I'm the one who has to thank you this time… so-"

What relief settled over the two is immediately shaken when a sudden tremor challenges their footing. As soon as the brief shockwave settles, they both stare at each other with widened eyes.

Even with the ground reaching its calm, Indigo can't help but stand with quivering legs. "W… W-What was that?!" He peeks over Fia's shoulder to see Gabite's figure completely absent. "Fia! Gabite's gone!"

"Did the paralysis wear off already?!" The Snivy whips her gaze behind her to see nothing but a hole in Gabite's place. "He must be digging!"

"W-Wait, he's using Dig?!" Indigo holds his paws up cautiously and assumes a defensive stance. "S-Stay close to me… he… he can pop back up at any second…"

Fia obliges, almost willingly pressing her back against Indigo's, but the lingering tension of the moment drowns out any chance of the duo noticing these trivial details.

It's only when the tense but uneventful silence overstays its welcome does awkward start to dawn on the duo.

Indigo utters an audible gulp. "Uh… any second now…"

"Indigo?" Fia raises a confused eyebrow his way. "Don't get me wrong, I… I really like your fur… for some reason… but-"

Paranoia causes Indigo's voice to raise. "A-Any second now! Stay on guard!"

The tense atmosphere returns, once again drowning out the memory of what little exchange happened before. To a certain Snivy's relief.

' _I really hope he didn't actually hear tha-'_

She's caught off balance when the ground trembles once more, this time noticeably closer beneath her.

"Uh… Indi-"

She cries out when the ground beneath her bursts to reveal a lunging Gabite, claws at the ready. Fia holds her vines up and flinches, clenching her eyes shut as she waits for the cutting swipe to reach her. The sound of a slicing impact reaches her ears, but the sensation of pain is absent.

The Snivy quickly opens her eyes to see Indigo jumping in the way of the blow, the swipe already looking to have grazed across his stomach. She also notices a violent red aura of some sort surrounding the Riolu, but before she can register what it means, another blow follows. Without giving Fia time to blink, Indigo thrusts his paw at Gabite's face at blinding speed, delivering an impact powerful enough to send Gabite soaring.

With Gabite reeling painfully, Indigo collapses to the ground with a sharp gasp, clutching his chest with his paw. Fia rushes to his side.

"Indigo!" She cries out. "What… what was that?"

The Riolu blinks at a rapid pace, looking at the blood on his paw. "I… I… I guess that was a last second Counter… but either way… I still had that coming…"

The Snivy gives him a soft smile of gratitude and fishes an Oran Berry out of his bag. "Well, here. If it makes you feel any better, you've definitely become a hero in my eyes."

Indigo notices the Oran Berry offered to him and musters a wavering smile. "I wouldn't exactly call myself a hero, though… but sure, why not?" He accepts the berry with a paw and takes a shaky bite. "Is… Is Gabite down?"

Fia squints ahead at Gabite's fallen figure. He doesn't stir.

Her expression lights up with excitement. "I think he's down for the count! I'll go get the gems!"

The Snivy makes a mad dash to the wall of treasures ahead. As she does so, she passes by Gabite's collapsed figure without a second thought.

He stirs. "P-Please… don't take the gems… they're… they're too valuable… I can't have spent my whole life guarding these gems to lose them to some kids…"

Fia stops in place at his wording. "Your… whole life?"

Indigo finishes his Oran Berry and manages to get back to his feet. "Are they… are they really that valuable?"

Gabite coughs, struggling to get up farther than a kneeling position. "I can only stay certain as long as the information spread through my family line are all true… All I know is that a certain gem here has special properties that'll prove to be very important when its time comes… The thing is… I'll only know which one's the special gem when the time comes… That's why I need to keep all of my gems just in case… I can't risk losing the special gem… Not until the proper time comes…"

The duo pause in silence, letting Gabite's story sink in.

"This really changes everything," Fia speaks up, with a quiet tone. But not quiet for long. "Hey Indigo! You know what this means?"

Indigo raises an eyebrow. "Uh… what?"

Fia faces him with an excited smile. "We're done with everything we have to do here! That means I can take you to that special place I was talking to you about a long while back!"

"We… can leave? W-Wait… one thing first…" Indigo pauses to dust himself off for a second before taking out an Oran Berry. He walks over to Gabite and offers it to him. "Uh… sorry for… barging in here and… uh… beating you up…"

Gabite slowly takes the berry in a claw and takes a bite. "I'd rather not recall the outcome of our battle… but I appreciate the apology."

"Take care, Mr. Gabite!" Fia calls out. "Okay, Indigo! Let's use that Escape Orb and get out of here!"

"Oh… that…" Indigo takes an Escape Orb out of his bag. "Okay… here's the Escape Orb… now what do I do with it?"

Fia pauses. "Are you saying you don't know how to use Orbs?"

"W-Well… all I know is that it's an Escape Orb… but I don't know how to use it-"

Indigo is interrupted when a vine slaps the Escape Orb out of his paw. It shatters as soon as it hits the ground, causing a bright light to engulf Indigo and Fia, teleporting them away and out of the dungeon.

As the light fades to reveal the duo's lack of presence, Gabite finishes off the rest of his Oran Berry and gets back on his feet. He sighs. "If only I had my father's stone with me… then I would've won that battle… urgh… if only that blazing ghost of a girl actually returned it to me…"

 **A few minutes later, Serene Village's Plaza, Fia's POV**

 _Okay, we weren't gone for that long… yep! We still have time to go there!_

"Come on, Indigo! We're already here! You can't be tired _already!"_

I tear my gaze away from the blues skies to see Indigo panting behind me.

"I've… been running… for a long time now… Please… I could really do for some rest…"

"Later, later! Come on, you have to be awake for this!" I run back and start pushing him forward.

"Hey! Hey, you two!"

I peek over Indigo's shoulder to see Pancham and Shelmet standing by the plaza area's center, giving us intent looks.

"Did you get the gems?" Shelmet's look narrows to a sneer. "Or did you wuss out?"

"No gems, but we made it out just fine!" I immediately reply with a smile. "Mr. Gabite tried to kill us, but we're all good now. Apparently his gems are actually _very_ valuable, so we couldn't just take them away!"

The two of them stare at us, wide-eyed. "You survived a Gabite?!"

"I… actually got scratched up a bit… but Oran Berries are surprisingly fast acting…" Indigo takes a second to stare down at his chest.

"Yep! Now come on, Indigo! We have a place to be!" I grab Indigo by the paw and start running through the path with him in tow, leaving an astonished Pancham and Shelmet in the dust.

His paw still in my grip, I head out of the plaza area and towards the path of houses, this time taking a left.

"Uh… Fia?" Indigo speaks up between breaths. "Is… this the right way? It… looks like we're heading out of the village… how close did you say this place was, again?"

"We're almost there, don't worry! We just have to go a bit farther down this path!"

We continue running until I spot a distinct grassy hill to the side, a large tree big enough to be a landmark at its top. I run off with Indigo to the hilltop before sitting down in the tree's shade.

I take a deep breath and let it out to flow with the passing breeze. "Here we are, Indigo… my favorite place!"

Indigo slowly sits to my left and glances around him, a look of curiosity in his eyes. He lets out a breath as well. "The breeze really is nice here… though, after spending an entire mystery dungeon's worth of life or death situations with you… I expected something you'd describe as… well, 'exciting'."

I giggle. "Might as well enjoy the best of what Serene Village has to offer, right? Besides, it's not like this place is boring." I gesture an arm ahead. "I mean, get a good look at the view!"

I keep my attention fixated on his reaction as he slowly looks ahead. Fortunately for me, I'm met with no disappointment when he goes from wondrous to stunned just like _that._

"Hee hee! It's really something, isn't it?"

Indigo silently nods, his expression still unwavering.

 _Still entranced, by the view, huh? Hee hee! I don't blame you._

I slowly join him in absorbing the sights, letting my thoughts daze. My eyes slowly wander off to the various clouds lazily passing by the wide expanse of the skies above, the bushy leaves of the tree nearby still within the corner of my eye. The wonder of the world ahead but a glimpse of home still remaining close by.

I bring myself out of my trance to take another deep breath. "... do you understand those kinda feelings, Indigo? … Indigo?"

I tear my gaze to my left to see Indigo stir, rapidly blinking from his upward stare for a bit before responding. "O-Oh… were you… saying something?"

I giggle. "Just some stuff about how much I love this view. The endless reach of the sky, the familiar but distant village, and the comforting shade of the tree… It's great, isn't it?"

He slowly lowers his gaze to look at me with a faint smile. "I was just going to say that it looked nice… but you really do know this view."

"You bet! I come here often, after all," I proclaim, a proud smile coming to my face as I look up to meet the drifting clouds. "It's a good spot to photosynthesize, relax, helps me clear my mind… but it also helps me get excited! Especially those clouds, slowly moving along without a care in the world, blissfully unaware of how lucky they are…"

"You find sky gazing… exciting?" I hear a hint of intrigue in Indigo's voice.

"Yep…" I let my thoughts wander off once more. "... you know, I'm jealous of all those clouds. They get to float wherever they want while getting to see all kinds of places… I really do envy them. It's my dream to go exploring to the endless beyond and become someone great…" I look his way. "Have you ever heard of the Expedition Society?"

He raises an eyebrow. "E-Er… I have no idea…" His look trails off for a second as he puts a paw near his chin. "Didn't… didn't Pancham call you an… Expedition Society wannabe or something…?"

"Oh, yeah, that," I sheepishly say with a chuckle. "You know… Serene Village doesn't really get much liveliness other than the occasional Pelipper that comes by with mail. But from what I've heard, somewhere out there is a place called Lively Town, where the Expedition Society's set up. I hear they're a group of professional explorers who go out and explore the real dangerous mystery dungeons and even help those in need! I just… need to get my hands on a map… become good enough as those adult explorers… and find some way to get to Lively Town…" Even with my wavering tone, I crack a giggle. "No one really believes I can do it yet, not even my Pops, but I know I'll find a way. Sooner or later!"

"Well, even with the odds, at least you know how to be optimistic…" I look at Indigo to see him smiling at me. "That… actually reminds of something Mr. Nuzleaf told me. Grown-ups may hold you back from a lot of things… but you have to pull through eventually. Maybe your Pops will understand when the time comes… either way… I still admire your spirit."

 _That Nuzleaf… that Mr. Nuzleaf…_ I smile back, playfully nudging him in the arm with a fist. "I sure hope so. Do you support my dream, Indigo?"

He chuckles, slowly rubbing the tiny patch of fur I stirred. "I definitely don't want to see that spirit go to waste. Looking back… considering how we survived in that mine… we actually pulled through for each other surprisingly well, so maybe you do have that exploration potential… uh… stuff." He hesitates with a blink. "Did I… uh… say that right?"

"Hee hee! It's like I said back there, I can do anything with your help! Maybe! Whatever happens, I'll never give up as long as you're with me!" I see Indigo giving me a questionable look. I tilt my head. "You _are_ going to be watching my back along the way, right?"

He widens his eyes with a stunned pause. "W-Wait… so today wasn't just a one time thing?"

"Come on, of course not! We _are_ friends, aren't we? We're already neighbours, after all!" I continue smiling at him in hopes of him catching on.

"I… I guess…" His gaze trails off as he hesitates. "W-well… after all we just went through today, I don't want to upset you… so… sure, I guess I can see myself getting used to this…"

I smile at him. "We really were amazing today, weren't we? And I know I wouldn't have pulled through if it weren't for your help, pushing me away fireballs and everything! You know what, it's about time I thank you! Friendship hug!"

"Wait wha-"

I cut his voice off when I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him into an embrace, my head resting on his shoulder. I'm only given a second to register his body warmth before the suddenness of my move causes us to lose balance, both of us crying out before we stumble.

I find myself face-first in the grass below as Indigo lands on his back, the grip of my determined hug still there.

I hear Indigo stammer. "Oh… uh… is… is this a normal thing to do? Like… often?"

I muster a giggle as I lift my face from the grass. "Well, I'm just the type who likes hugs."

"O-Oh… w-well… in… in that case…" I feel his paws slowly return the gesture, furthering the warmth.

 _It's… actually quite soothing…_ I smile and continue embracing the body warmth.

A moment of peaceful silence passes as I let my thoughts wander for a bit.

I let out a relieved breath. "The breeze really is nice here, you know? Indigo? … Indigo?"

I slowly get up on my feet to feel Indigo's paws limply fall back to his side. When I look upon his still figure, I widen my eyes at the realization.

 _Oh, come on! Sleeping at a time like this?! We were just having a nice friendship moment and everything!_

The sound of his gentle snoring is enough to reaffirm my thoughts. I sigh with a huff and grab him by the shoulders. "Hey Indigo! Wake up! Come on, whatever happened to never giving up as long as you were on my side and everything?!"

My yelling leaves me with no results but more snoring, leaving me with another huff. _You… you deep sleeper you… I guess I have to put an exception to that 'never give up' rule…_

I muster a smile and playfully nudge him again. "Well, when you wake up, you'll still be rooting for me, right?"

Nothing but snoring.

I giggle. "I'll take that as a yes."

With the moment's passing leaving me with newfound resolve, I extend a vine out and wrap it around Indigo's tail. Now that I have him back in tow, I drag him down the hill and make my way back to the village path, my sights set on Mr. Nuzleaf's house.

As we near our destination, I look back on my dozing passenger and giggle to myself.

 _He's definitely a keeper._


	5. 5: Crashed Opportunity

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 5 - Crashed Opportunity**

 **Hours later, Indigo's POV**

 _Whew…_

With a weary sigh, I slowly make my way to a familiar-looking door and double check, barely able to make out the rest of the house in the night darkness. Fortunately, the face I'm greeted with after I knock confirms that I've come to the right place.

"Greetings, Indigo," Nuzleaf says with a smile. "I was wonderin' when you'd be comin' back."

I quietly chuckle. "Hi, Mr. Nuzleaf… I thought a nap would help me feel ready for the rest of the day… guess I overestimated my stamina…"

Nuzleaf allows me to step in. "From the looks of it, didn't seem like Fia was worn out a single bit, even after she waited for you to wake up after draggin' you all the way here. Seemed like you two had quite the day."

 _She… she was waiting for me_ _ **while**_ _I was napping here?_

"Oh… yeah… I never really got to tell you about that… we just went to a… mystery dungeon together after school…" I chuckle, attempting not to sound as meek as possible. _I don't think telling Nuzleaf about our treacherous trek would be a good idea…_

"So you went adventurin' for fun with Fia, huh?" Nuzleaf chuckles back. "Good to hear you're already at it with makin' friends. I'd appreciate if you came back at an earlier time, but I reckon I can't blame ya. Seems like you had a blast."

"Well… heading out for tag with the others and stuff immediately after taking a nap is a bit much for me… but I guess I can't really complain other than my… well, sore tail…"

Nuzleaf walks over to a box by the room's corner. "So I take it you had a fun day?"

 _A…. fun day?_ I hesitate for a second, unsure if I still have perception of what's fun and what's not. "I… I guess you can say that. Better than yesterday, I can say that much…"

I hear Nuzleaf chuckle a bit as he walks back to me with a bowl and smirk to match. "Really glad to hear that. Now come on, eat up before callin' it a day. School's tomorrow, after all."

"Oh yeah… that…" I hesitantly reply. As I do so, I take the bowl and look inside to see a mix of Oran Berries and Apple pieces in an appetizing-looking bundle.

With the bowl in my paws, I make my way to the straw bed in my room and sit down, munching on the first piece I grab at. As tasty as the combination of Oran and Apple is, my mind finds itself too occupied with something else to register the intricate juicy details.

… _fun…_ The very word echoes. It's not as if the very concept is unfamiliar to me. I do know that it's subjective with how differently people see things. But I can guess that previous experiences and instincts and stuff have a say in this response, too.

Which gets begs the question, am I really just some blank slate trying to learn from what's given to me? Or do I actually have some forgotten or secluded memories that's shaped some complex individual I have to redevelop myself into?

"Is somethin' the matter, Indigo?" I'm snapped out of my thoughts when Nuzleaf calls out to me from the other room. "You've been starin' down at your bowl without takin' a bite…"

I blink back to reality to find myself looking down at my empty paws, Nuzleaf worriedly peeking at me through the empty doorway.

"U-Uh… I'm just… well… thinking about things…" I reply.

Mr. Nuzleaf's worried look grows. "Anythin' you feel like talkin' about?"

 _Anything?_ It doesn't take me long to wonder if I can really trust Nuzleaf with a topic like this. He is the first Pokémon I've told about my peculiar situation, after all.

"Just… some things related to my memories before I lost them…" I hesitate. "W-Well… before I became a Riolu, I guess…"

"Hmm…" Nuzleaf crosses his arms. "Nothin's come up, has it?"

I shake my head at a pace that matches my disappointment. "I'm just… wondering what would've been if I didn't get struck with amnesia… I probably had a full personality and purpose that's just… gone now." I stare at him with quivering eyes. "Who… who was I, really? And why did all this amnesia and Pokémon turning stuff happen to me in the first place?"

Nuzleaf's eyes widen as he rushes over to my side, kneeling to grab my shoulders. "Hey now, hold your Ponyta for just a second! Take a breather first!"

His urgent tone makes me aware of the deathly pace of my breathing. "O… Okay…"

I close my eyes and clear my head, letting the rise and fall of my chest to slow.

As I do so, Nuzleaf continues speaking. "Well, Indigo… I don't know one thing about these kinds of memory or identity issues… but the most I can do right now is tell you to hang in there. Even if it seems like nothin's resurfacin', answers are bound to come up eventually. Just try not to pressure yourself in the meantime. You're here in Serene Village, after all. Take a breather if you have to."

I compose myself and shoo away a passing dizzy spell. "R-Right…"

Nuzleaf's expression slowly shifts to a warm smile as he gently pats me on the back. "Tell you what. Tomorrow I'll be out and about on my errands and such, but since I'll probably be on an extended leave, I'll see if I can sort somethin' out. There's bound to be someone or someplace I can get to."

The sound of his reassuring tone and a stare to match leaves me with a wavering smile. "I'd… I'd like that."

Nuzleaf leaves me with one last grin before he gets up. "Don't start missin' me too much once I'm out. I'll probably be back before ya know it. Hopefully you can rest easy now, school's still tomorrow and all."

The very reminder perks me up. "O-Oh, that!" I immediately look back down at the bowl of bits awaiting my grasp and start shoving.

I hear Nuzleaf's distinct chuckle right as I stop myself from choking. "It's about time I start doin' my job as a guardian and keep you happy, consarn it. Rest easy once you're done eatin', alright?"

I nod as I swallow.

Nuzleaf waves me off and walks away to the other room, out of sight. "Good night, Indigo."

I find myself with a smile as I get back to my food in peaceful silence.

 _Peaceful silence… I don't know why… but I feel like that'll stop soon…_

 _Then again… maybe I'm thinking too much about this… I am in Serene Village after all…_

 _Nuzleaf did say he's going to try to sort something out… so I have nothing to worry about, right?_

I look back on today's events. _Today was… actually pretty fun with Fia, I'll admit… It's at least relieving to know that today went better than yesterday… Maybe… Maybe I should just focus on how well things are around here instead of worrying…_

 _Like Nuzleaf said… I should just try not to pressure myself… I have nothing to worry about, after all…_

 **Ocean Tempest, Author's POV**

Past the areas of the expansive continents lie an even more expansive stretch of ocean as far as the eye can see. Certain depths within the large body of water are as deep as the ocean is wide. One of the many caves including in the plummeting pressure sits still, despite its expanse.

Yet, within the depths of this cave, two lone figures swim by, forming two lights in the darkness.

"Dad? Dad…?" A Chinchou looks up at the Lanturn, only for his father's gaze to remain unfazed by his calls. "Dad… we're lost again, aren't we?"

The Lanturn slowly shakes his head. "We're not lost, Carl. We're simply looking for Kyogre. He should be able to lead us outta here."

The Chinchou merely sighs and puts a fin to his head. "... so we're lost. Dad… why do you have to keep getting your thinking off track when we're out here like this?"

"Getting my thinking off track?" The Lanturn glances at his son with a stiff look. "Son, I'm afraid you don't know what's going on here. There's something fishy going on behind the scenes. Even if it's a hunch, you have to believe me."

Carl just rolls his eyes. "Haha, 'fishy'. Very funny, Dad."

Lanturn slowly shakes his head. "Now's not the time for jokes. There's something big going on… like with those guys who work with Lapras in that ride service… I'm calling it, one of those guys is up to no good around these parts."

"Which is why we have to get out of here as soon as possible." The Chinchou sighs once more, but as he does, something catches his eyes. He nudges his father with a fin. "Uh… Dad… I think I found Kyogre…"

The Lanturn responds by sweeping his eyes across the broad empty blue ahead, only not to see the Water type Legendary Pokémon in question. It's only when he angles his gaze downwards does he share his son's widened eyes.

"Dad…" Carl quivers. "... this large statue wasn't here before…"

Lanturn looks the large Kyogre-shaped figure of stone up and down. "I knew it… things really are going sour here. And right as we hit rock bottom… so did Kyogre…"

The Chinchou lets out an audible sigh. "Dad…"

"Come on, son. You're just being stone cold at this point… Now… for who did this…" His gaze is caught by a small pair of eyes watching them from the distance. "Who would've thunk it…"

The two swimmers are suddenly silenced when a speeding purple beam pierces through them both.

 **The next morning, Indigo's POV**

"Uuuuuungh…"

A familiar breeze brushes at my side. Soon, the awareness of its presence sweeps a wave of consciousness over my stirring figure, bringing a ray of sunlight along with it. Slowly, I bring myself to a sitting position on my straw bed and brush away something from my mouth.

 _Do… do I really drool when I sleep?_

The mere thought of the detail is pushed aside when I bring my attention to the source of the familiar breeze. _I really should close that window…_

I quickly search out my bag and pick it up from the floor as I make my way to the window. After I get that over with, I lumber over to the other room while rubbing my eyes.

"Good… morning, Mr. Nuzleaf…"

My voice is met with no response. The full realization reaches me when I move my paw away from my eyes to see the empty main room. It's then that my foot makes contact with a piece of paper near the door.

 _Nuzleaf?_ I slowly pick it up.

' _Indigo,_

 _I hope you're holdin' up alright. I will be gone on an extended leave with my errands and all, but like I said, I'll probably be back before ya know it. Take care of yourself, you tough little Riolu.'_

And right below the written sentences sits what seems to be his insignia in the form of an N, bearing the same distinct handwriting of everything else in a way that fits his tone.

A smile makes its way onto my face. _At least he knows I can handle some things on my own now… Maybe this is the big break I need…_

I notice a bit more writing near the paper's bottom. ' _PS. I reckon you better get goin' to school now, don't you think?'_

The sudden realization jolts my sleepy limbs back to life. _Oh… right… that!_

I quickly stuff the note into my bag and grab the doorknob, the sensation of urgency already rushing to my legs. Before I can even ponder about how I'm going to make my way to school on my own, I've already swung the door open to have my legs send me bolting.

Quickly, I'm greeted by the view of the greenery as the breeze jostles me at a force fitting my pace. However, I'm only given a second to experience my running speed before an impact knocks me to a halt.

I cry out as I fall onto the grass, almost landing on my tail, only to realize a familiar cry of pain accompanied mine.

 _Wha…?_

I quickly get back up and piece my realizations together to see a Snivy visibly attempting to reach for her nose, only to grasp the side of her face due to how short her arms are.

I raise an eyebrow. "Fia?" I help her get back to her feet. "What're you doing here?"

She meets my gaze with a surprised stare. "Well, I was just waiting for you to wake up! So we can, you know, walk to school together since we're neighbours!" She adds that last part with an excited smile.

Even given her contagious tone I've admittedly caught onto at times, her response merely leaves me wide-eyed. "You… you do know that I sort of overslept, right? Meaning… we're probably late now?"

She shares my gaze. "Oh! Don't we have a test today, too?"

 _We… we have a test?!_ "W-Wait, I don't think I studied-"

I'm cut off by a tiny hand gripping my paw. "Neither did I! But whatever happens, we can't be late!"

The moment I attempt to protest once more, I'm forced to get back to running by the Snivy keeping my paw in check.

 _What a way to start the day… but at this point… I really shouldn't be surprised…_

 **That recess, Pokémon School, Author's POV**

The arrival of the sounds of wind chimes brings the departure of a certain Farfetch'd from the grassy class area. And with the teacher's departure from earshot brings the arrival of a chorus of groans to escape from the students present.

Fia is the first to speak up, letting her sheepish tone show. "Well, at least we don't have to worry about that test anymore, right?"

Her gesture is immediately met by an outburst from the back row. "Are you kidding me?!" Pancham scowls. "Now we have to worry about how our parents will react to us failing!"

A certain Riolu to the Snivy's left decides to speak up. "W-Well… whatever the case… I hope Nuzleaf won't mind…"

Espurr speaks up from behind him. "I'm certain I did fairly well on the test. Either way, I don't think I'll have to worry about that parent situation."

"G-Guys?" Goomy's quivering figure speaks up from Fia's right. "Can't we just eat instead of worrying about this?"

"I think it's for the best," Deerling speaks up from next to Espurr with a sigh. "It is recess time, after all."

Everyone else silently agrees as they proceed to take out their Apples.

Indigo keeps his eyes fixated on the large red fruit in his paws. ' _I… never realized how big these are… I don't remember Apples being the size of my head… or how good they actually are…'_

The sound of his own crunch is accompanied by the sensation of juice. Bite by bite, the large red fruit in front of his eyes is slowly bitten to nothing, allowing the Riolu a view of the empty desk right in front of him-

' _Wait a second…'_ Indigo suddenly takes notice of a large metallic bracelet-like object of sorts on his desk. He picks it up and observes its material, taking note of how it looks like something could be inserted in the gem-shaped notches around the entire object.

Glancing around himself, he realizes that everyone else appears just as perplexed by the bracelets suddenly appearing on their own desks.

It is then that a familiar scoff-like voice reaches their ears. "Everyone, put you gobbling on hold just a second! Our next lesson begins with the objects I've placed on your desks!"

Begrudgingly or not, heads are turned ahead to be greeted by the upright figure of Vice Principal Watchog. His vibrant stare bores through every still student, his paw-behind-back figure as well as his faint smugness of a toothy grin adding to the unblinking intensity of his presence.

Normally such attempts at radiating such the appearance would seemingly brush off the students as would a halfheartedly-delivered lecture, but a confident glint in the Normal type eyes hinted otherwise. The realization of the lesson to come leaves everyone staring back, cautiously putting their full attention to the blatant figure of authority in front of them.

Watchog starts pacing. "Recess isn't quite over yet, but in the meantime, you better get used to those! You'll be exploring with those after I cover a certain other topic you'll need to know! But, as a little bonus for you children, once we get that over with, you get to keep 'em! Dismissed for now!"

Shifting his stance so that his paws are now crossed in front of him, Watchog walks back out of sight, all tension in the area giving way to puzzled curiosity once his absence becomes evident. Curiosity aimed towards the new points of interest presented before them.

"I… I don't remember him looking that… menacing? Well… whatever that was…." Indigo is the first to mutter amidst the stirring staring, directing his question at the Snivy to his right.

"He usually starts acting like that if this is some special lesson or something. Wait, he said something about exploring, right?" Her eyes light up with excitement as she continues. "You know, now I'm excited! We're gonna get to explore later with these… bracelet things!"

Espurr overhears them and speaks up as well. "I do recall noticing these at Kecleon's Shop." She smiles. "I think it's thoughtful of Mr. Watchog to finally enlighten us about these things. Not to mention allowing us to keep these things without having to pay for them."

"I'm more concerned with whatever Watchog wants us to do with these," Deerling adds, still casting glances towards her desk. "These look sort of heavy…"

The conversation continues, everyone attempting to pitch in their two cents on the mysterious objects. That is, everyone except for a Riolu getting to an Apple from his bag.

' _I'm… still… a bit hungry… Guess I really should pick up my eating pa-'_

"Time's up!" The sudden and almost instantaneous appearance of Watchog in front of them makes Indigo fumble with his Apple. "Get ready, children! Today we're going to have a very special lesson!"

Indigo can only sigh in defeat as he puts his Apple back into his bag, even after glancing at Fia to see her silently clap with an excited stare ahead.

' _So much for that…'_

 **Indigo's POV**

Turns out not eating that Apple is taking a much bigger toll on me than I initially thought. The following hunger leads me to lose my grasp on my attention span, leaving me barely able to think of anything else other than getting to eat.

 _Can we… just… get to… the exploration part already? Maybe… maybe if I get to bring my bag along… I can…_

My train of thought cuts off when I once again realize that I still have to pay attention to whatever Mr. Watchog is lecturing us all about. I think he's still talking about… um… something about concentrating attacks in a specific way or something. Then… passing the resulting energy to an ally or something?

The sudden sound of an attack blowing up somewhere in the distance perks my ears up and catches my full attention. Watchog's voice reaches my ears as well.

"And that's how Alliance Attacks work! Thank you for volunteering, Espurr. As for the rest of you, don't forget what I've said about these, because you might need to use attacks like these in a pinch!" He straightens his posture, clearing his throat. "Time for what you've all been waiting for! Everyone, stand up, get your Looplets, and line up front!"

 _L-Looplets?_ The sudden shift from lecture to command makes my train of thought hesitate to start up. My eyes immediately fly to the bracelet-like object on my desk, presumably the object Mr. Watchog's referring to. Seeing everyone else already taking their 'Looplets' and lining up into position, I hastily grab mine with a paw, clutch my bag's strap with another, and follow suit into position.

Mr. Watchog slowly eyes all of us, until his gaze stops towards a quivering figure near my right. "Goomy! _Where_ is your Looplet?!"

Goomy responds with a tone matching his shriveling body. "I… I accidentally dissolved it…"

I swear I can see Mr. Watchog's eyes twitch at the response, right before he rolls his eyes in a mildly irritated manner before revealing a spare Looplet in his paw. He tosses it onto Goomy's head. "Take this spare one. As for the rest of you, take note! While Looplets are mostly indestructible, try not to let your natural abilities, slimy membranes, or whatever the sort dent, melt, or dissolve them. They're also susceptible to being submerged in lava, so don't go submerging them in lava!"

"So they're indestructible?" Fia raises an eyebrow with a visible smirk. "Are these weapons or something?"

For a second, it almost looks like Watchog chuckled. "For the sake of educating you on the _proper_ use of Looplets, I'd heavily advise against whacking a feral or attempting to bound them with these."

He suddenly pulls a white canvas out of… nowhere and makes it stand, letting us all eye the diagram present. It looks like an illustration of a Looplet with some differently coloured gems put into the notches. Next thing I know, a pointing stick of some sort is in his paws too. "Now direct your attention to this diagram!"

I hear Espurr speak up. "I don't recall seeing those gem-like objects anywhere…"

"That's because _these_ are Emeras! Mysterious objects that have started appearing in certain mystery dungeons that are meant to be put into your Looplets! They have different effects depending on their type, all beneficial in one way or another! However, Emeras can only exist in mystery dungeons, so if you try to take them out, they'll disintegrate! Now!" He slams the pointing stick against the canvas with enough force to probably impale it if it was pointy. "Any questions?"

"W-Wait…" I muster my voice, looking down at the ring and realizing that it's bigger than my head. "You said we're supposed to wear these, right? Uh… how?"

I see the smirk on his face grow. "I was waiting for you to ask!" All of a sudden, he reveals that his other paw is holding _another_ Looplet. "Another mysterious thing you should know is that Looplets can be worn anywhere on the body! The arm, the neck, wherever you find it comfortable! It'll automatically shrink wherever you'd like to wear it! As my job as your _illustrious_ vice principal, I'll demonstrate!"

He lifts the Looplet over his head and drops it. Just like he said it would, it immediately shrinks down to a wearable size, but ends up slipping over his eyes like a blindfold.

Yet, his look remains unfazed. "Yes! As you can see, they do indeed shrink wherever you'd like to wear them! And if you'd like to remove it, it'll slide right off, just like so!" He gets his paws back on his Looplet, pulling it off with ease.

I muster my intrigue and stare on, doing the same as the others near me. Using what wonder I have to overpower my lingering hunger, I glance down at my Looplet. _I… I guess it was about time I got an accessory of some sort… maybe I can get used to this…_

"Wait one second!" My thoughts are suddenly interrupted by an outburst. "How are limbless Pokémon like me supposed to put these on?!"

Mr. Watchog immediately shifts his gaze away from Shelmet. "Now that we have that over with, it's time to get to the exploration part of our lesson! Using only your Looplets and a satchel of items I've left at the top of Glittering Mountain, I'll be splitting you into two groups! Your objective is to make your way down the mountain towards the path leading to the school forest, which eventually leads you back here! Any further questions before I send you all there?"

 _So… just a satchel at the top? I… I just hope it has food…_ A realization suddenly hits me. "W-Wait… are we going to have to walk all the way to the top of the mountain only to head all the way back down?"

"Of course not! I'm going to be using _this!"_ Watchog's smirk remains as he suddenly reveals a crooked-looking Wand of some sort in his paw.

 _Arceus… how many items does he have?! And where is he keeping all of them?!_

Shaking that thought aside, my eye is caught by how strange-looking Watchog's Wand is. The first thing I notice, other than how my mind immediately recognizes it as a Warp Wand of some sort, is how crooked it looks, as if it was taken apart and put back together. I glance to my right, realizing how I'm not the only one who noticed this.

And even _then,_ Watchog's smirk still reeks of pride. "Yes, children! Bask, just _bask_ in the glory of being in the presence of an item fit for someone as _illustrious_ as I am!"

 _Is he… is he actually seeing what we're all seeing?_

"Now, I know you all see this as some fiddly little pointing stick, but I paid good money to use this Warp Wand for demonstration purposes! Custom-made specifically to teleport the target to one of the spots I picked out at the top of Glittering Mountain! How does that work, you might ask? I'm afraid that question can only be answered by the inventor in Lively Town who delivered to me! Any comments regarding the rickety appearance of this Wand are not mine to answer, so blame the inventor's assistant!"

I catch some stirring to my right and turn to see Deerling cautiously step forward. "Have you actually tested if this thing actually _works?"_

Watchog pauses, his smirk disappearing. Again, I swear at one point I see his eye twitch. "I think we've wasted enough time with silly little precautions! Off you go!"

 _W-W-Wait, wha-_

I barely have enough time to process anything before a projectile's bright light blinds me.

 **Fia's POV**

All of a sudden, every inch of grass I around me disappears when my vision goes white, shortly giving way to nothing but rock. I quickly whip my stare upwards to see the blue sky, immediately realizing the sensation of being at a higher altitude.

 _Is this… Glittering Mountain?_ I look around at all the grey rock of this summit. _Doesn't look_ _ **that**_ _glittering to me. Well, unless those Emera things on the floor Watchog talked about are the glittering parts._

A quick look down at the Looplet in my hands quickly reminds me of what I'm here for. I lift it over my head and slide it down (with a bit of adjusting because of my nose) to where it shrinks snugly around my neck.

 _That's better!_

I then look around me to see the others: Goomy quivering nearby, Espurr calmly brushing herself off, and Indigo still standing in place with a dazed look.

Espurr turns to face me. "Hello, Fia. It looks like we're the group of four heading down."

I start pacing towards her, slowly realizing something as I glance at the other two boys composing themselves. "So it's just the four of us?"

She nods. "It appears so. As far as I know, it's just us and this bag." She holds up its strap and puts it over her shoulder.

I find myself with a smile. "So that means we didn't end up with Pancham _or_ Shelmet! Up top!"

Espurr faintly smiles back as she returns the gesture. "I suppose that's a good thing. Even if it seems like Deerling ended up with them, I'm sure she can handle herself."

"Urgh…" I hear Indigo let out a groan as he and Goomy walk towards us. "Are those two… actually that bad?"

"Not really…" Espurr responds. "They're mostly just troubling to be around, but they're not always bad eggs. They can be sweethearts sometimes, or so I've heard."

I giggle. "Sure they are."

"H-Hey…" Goomy speaks up. I notice his Looplet sitting on the top of his head as he attempts to motion to it with his eyes. "C-Can someone please help me with this?"

"Oh yeah… uh… Espurr?" Indigo adds, noticeably shifting his stare to her bag. "Do you… have any Apples in that bag?"

"Hold on you two," she replies. "I'll handle this… give me a second…"

I giggle once more and decide to take another look at my surroundings. Once again, I look around to see what I think are the Emeras Watchog talked about.

For a second, I'm in awe at the Emeras scattered before me. Like I was at the bottom of the Drilbur Coal Mine, except this time the glistening is right within my reach, ripe for the picking.

 _Hee hee hee!_

I quickly run over to the ones closest to my reach and pick them up. A clear light blue Emera and a bright yellow one. I press them against what I assume are the notches on my Looplet. A clicking noise of some sort indicating that they've been put into place.

And as if to add to how satisfying the sound is, a sudden surge of energy courses through me, focusing my vision in a way that makes me want to start lashing with my vines.

"Whoa…" I take a second to stare in awe, barely able to contain the coursing urge to get into a fight.

Next thing I know, I whip my gaze around to find the sloped area leading below, already speeding my way past everyone else and towards the path of adventure.

"Fia, wait!"

"W-Wait up, Fia!"

"P-Please… I don't even think I can slither that fast!"

I toss their cries to the wind as quickly twirl on my heel and skid down the slope to the area below. As I reel to a stop to find myself in a large open area, my snickering is met with several growls from the feral Deino staring me down.

My smirk remains. "Bring it! I'm ready for you Deino!" I concentrate some energy to form a whirling wind-like projectile on my tail. "Ready for you _all!"_

I whip my tail ahead and let the projectile loose, sending the gale in a sweeping path that blows everyone in front of me off of their feet.

"Haha!" My confident smile still remains as I whip out my vines and wrap it around a nearby Deino's neck. With a quick twirl on my heel, I heave the Deino around and hurl it at the others. "And stay down!"

Except they don't stay down. Apparently everything I did isn't enough to knock them out cold, allowing them to get back up and fire the combined blue flare of a Dragon Rage fireball my way. "Oh _come on-"_

I'm suddenly knocked off my feet when someone shoves me from behind, pushing me in such a way that leaves the incoming fireball to sail over my head.

"You… really seem like a magnet to these fireballs…" I hear Indigo groan as he helps me back to my feet. "You _do_ know that barging into a group of these ferals all on your own is a bad idea when we're all here… right?"

Even as I pout at him, I can't help but feel the urge to smile. "Come on, you have to admit I still did a pretty good job back there!"

"W-Well…" Indigo reaches for the back of his head with his paw. "I… guess I can admit I didn't expect to see you with that Twister… that was a Twister, ri-"

The sudden burning feeling of something searing nearby causes us to both flinch, quickly making me turn ahead to see a wall of blue flames raining down on where the Deino were. Once the Dragon Breath dies down to reveal the fainted Deino, I look up to see Goomy being levitated down our way, Espurr standing right beside him.

"O-Oh… did I get too carried away?" Goomy shakily slithers to us. "O-Or… maybe the Emeras made me overdo it…"

Espurr walks back to his side. "Don't be too harsh on yourself, Goomy. You took down all those Deino, after all." She turns to face us. "Are you two okay?"

"Hmm? Oh… I guess we're alright…" Indigo speaks up.

"Good to hear that." She lets out a sigh and takes an Oran Berry out, levitating it to Goomy. "I believe we should press on now. There are only so many Oran Berries in this satchel."

"I… second that notion..." Indigo adds.

Goomy eagerly slithers over to Espurr's paw and takes the berry in his mouth. "Y-Yeah… drying out here of all places would be, w-well, very bad… I can still feel the breeze here, but I'd rather not risk it… I still don't do well staying in a mystery dungeon for too long…"

 _As usual, as usual…_

"Well, what are waiting for?" I step forward with a smile. "We have to up our pace, don't we? If we get moving now, we can make it back before the others get here! Maybe!"

I see Indigo and Espurr open their mouths as if to add something, but we're all cut off when _Goomy_ decides to speak up.

"Y-Yeah! I'm tired of letting Pancham and Shelmet push me around, so let's get back so we can rub our triumph in their faces!"

"Yeah!" I proceed despite my surprise. "That's the spirit!"

"I suppose I can't argue against enthusiasm like that," Espurr smiles. "Goomy, since I have all the items, stay close to me."

"That just leaves us, then!" I grasp Indigo's paw and get ready to run. "Come on, Indigo!"

"Wait, wait, wait, just a second!" The sudden volume in his tone as well as the tightened grip on my hand makes me pause. "You know… maybe we _don't_ actually have to run. Walking should do."

 _Oh come on! Walking is bori-i-i-i-ing!_

His expression noticeably shifts, probably from noticing mine. "Believe me, I'd rather get out of here as soon as possible… but even then, I suppose I have to watch out for you in case you start running headfirst into danger… again."

"Hmm…" I straighten my frown. "... fine."

After Espurr picks up a few of the items scattered on the floor, the four of us continue forward at a… moderate pace. A pace that doesn't let me feel the wind rustle as I woosh by! I have a running speed I have to put to use while I'm still young!

Yet… even if my thirst for adrenaline leaves me feeling hungry for a photosynthesizing spot, I can't help but smile. I really can't get mad at the whole reasoning for why I don't get to speed ahead of everyone else right now.

 _Still looking out for me… hee hee!_

 **A few minutes later, Indigo's POV**

 _Urgh!_

I hold my paws up to have them block the striking impact of something feathery, the collision immediately causing a painful tingling to flow through me as if a pressure point was struck. The sudden pulsing sensation of numbing disorients my guard and makes me lose my balance.

"Agh!" I cry out as I fall over onto the rocky surface of the floor, my position just upright enough to widen my eyes as the Spearow swoop towards me with another Aerial Ace. At this point, I feel like trying to block any more of those Flying type attacks I'm sensitive to with my still-trembling figure will lead to more than just numb paws.

So I quickly hold a paw out and attempt to concentrate. However, all the panic of losing more than just my fur and blood wavers any energy I'm able to muster, leaving a sphere barely hovering over my paw before my alarmed senses disrupt its existence.

All of a sudden, the sound of a projectile's impact followed by a cloud of dust appearing where the Spearow is catches my attention. Following that is a now-fainted Spearow's figure crashing right near me until it reels to a still position, allowing me some breathing time as the dust clears. It doesn't take me long to figure out who fired the attack when I'm levitated to my feet.

"Mr. Watchog was very generous to give us more Oran Berries than I'd initially expected," Espurr says. "Would you like one?"

"Y-Yeah…" I pause, still a bit dazed from the overwhelming adrenaline taking its leave. "Definitely… I… I felt like I was going to lose something back there…"

She smiles a faint smile as she levitates an Oran Berry my way. "I'm sure you're simply overexaggerating. Most of the mystery dungeons here aren't as bad as you'd think. Besides, do you really think Mr. Watchog would send us to a mystery dungeon where we could actually be seriously injured?"

A thoughtful look comes onto my face as I take a bite out of the Berry. "You… have a good point…" _I guess Drilbur Coal Mine is a definite exception to that…_ I gulp at the memory. "Speaking of… where's Fia?"

Espurr glances to her left and motions with her paw. "Still taking on the hostiles on her end." All of a sudden, a Machop soars right past us towards a wall, catching us both off guard. "I think she's done now."

I quickly look towards the direction the Machop just flew at us in to see the Snivy skipping towards us, pleased smile on her face and all. "Well, that was fun! So, shall we get going?"

Espurr nods. "We should… but… wait…" She looks around. "Oh dear. Goomy's not here…"

"W-Wait…" I look around to see no trace of slime anywhere. "We didn't leave him behind, did we?"

"My bad," Fia speaks up with a sheepish chuckle. "I'll admit, that's all on me. Maybe running ahead all of a sudden wasn't a good idea."

I blink. … ' _maybe'?_

Espurr shifts her gaze. "I do recall seeing a Rollcall Orb on the floor earlier. I'll go backtrack and try to use it to find Goomy. Are you two fine with staying here?"

I take a second to look around at what items are scattered in this open room of an area. "I-"

"We'll be fine!" My voice is drowned out by Fia's. "Don't keep us waiting for too long, okay?"

"Will do." She smiles, and with that, she's already walking out of sight before I can bring myself to utter an additional syllable.

So instead, I direct whatever speaking incentive I've mustered towards Fia. "Wait, wait, wait… you don't _actually_ think we'll be fine waiting it out, do you?"

She shrugs at me. "Come on, we already beat the hostiles in this room and everything. What could go wrong? More hostiles coming here?"

I take a dumbfounded pause. "Uh… _yes?"_

She flicks her wrist in a gesture. "You worry too much. Come on, at least we're in fighting condition in case anything happens, right?"

My mind takes a second to process her words and I find myself with a raised eyebrow. _She does have a point._

"Well… okay then…" My eyes glide over to the flickering objects scattered about. "If… if that's the case, then I'll just take a look at the Emeras in the meantime…"

Cautiously navigating I make my way over to the first colour that catches my attention. A shining purple Emera. Stare as I must, unlike any of the other items I've come across, I can't tell what possible effects this one will have. But even then, I still stare.

 _I… really like these shades of purple, don't I?_

I slowly pick the Emera up and hold it up to one of the notches of my Looplet, right next to a yellow one. As if not knowing what these Emeras do was enough, the idea of mixing and matching them and seeing what effects arise makes me hesitant. Then again, considering how this yellow Emera really didn't do much against the Spearow I was just up against, maybe getting more Emeras isn't a bad idea…

After I insert the Emera into a notch until it clicks, I look down at my paws. Nothing much feels different, or at least, to my knowledge. Maybe it's one of those Emeras that takes effect while I'm in battle.

 _For once… I'd like to actually find a hostile to battle just for the heck of it… If only just to see what this Emera does…_

My eyes slowly look down to my Looplet, suddenly taking an oddly wistful gaze at the purple hue. I suddenly become deathly aware that such a colour would disappear before my eyes once we leave this mystery dungeon. This lovely shade of purple… gone-

 _Wait, wait, wait, what am I doing?!_ Whatever trance I find myself in dissipates as I hurriedly shake my head, leaving me with a blank mind. _What… just happened?_

I put a paw to the area right beneath my ears and quietly groan, trying to recall the last thing on my mind. _Emeras… right?_

Somewhat desperate to get back on whatever track I was on, I shift my attention to another Emera in my view. One bearing an enticing bright green shade, right within my reach as well. As soon as it clicks into place, something surges through me, but I'm not quite sure what it is…

I look down at my paws once more, but this time, it's easier for me to catch the individual strands of(admittedly scruffy) fur, as if my gaze has become focused. Not only that, but it also feels like I'm being compelled to stare at something ahead.

Right as I lift my gaze, even if I'm just staring blankly at nothing in particular, I find myself with a sudden sense of confidence to press onward. Almost as if I gained an omniscient type of sense for my bearings and can trust my instincts to tell me _exactly_ where to go.

"Hey! Hey Indigo!"

What pinpointed perception I had is shooed away when I turn my head towards Fia's voice. I see her sitting down with a wall right ahead of her as she motions for me to take up the spot to her left.

I take a second to choose what words to use. "Hey… uh… what's up?"

She smiles at me as she faces the wall. "Look what I found!"

I follow the motion of her pointing finger to see some sort of opening in the wall. Its size vaguely resembles a window, except it's almost twice as big as the ones I've seen in Nuzleaf's house. Even if this one's way above us and tucked into a corner, it's still wide enough to give us a good view of the distant skies.

 _I… was starting to wonder what this room's light source is…_

"It really is cool, isn't it?" I hear Fia giggle. "Especially the clouds… it'd be nice if a view of the village was there too, but oh well."

 _The… clouds…_ I take her words to mind and focus on what view I have. As I take a deep breath to compose myself, I already feel the increased intake of outside air expel most of the tension I have. That, and the nice shade of blue sky along with the nearby plane of light grey rock adds to the view.

I find myself with a faint smile as I let out a sigh of relief. "It… really is nice…"

The sound of Fia's own refreshed sigh reaches my ears. "You know, I'll never get tired of getting to see the clouds like this. Never! Not for as long as I live!"

I can't help but smile at the explosive enthusiasm to my right as Fia's practically pumping her fists in the air right now. "I think I recall you saying you envied them…"

She flashes a smirk. "So what if I do? I can still think whatever I want of them while still letting them inspire me! It's like every time I see them they're taunting me from all the way up there… which just motivates to strive even higher! Just to show those clouds who's boss!"

I chuckle. _Who knew… clouds could be so daunting?_

All of a sudden, Fia's triumphant tone erupts as she starts yelling towards the sky. "Yeah! One day you'll see, you… you clouds! One day I'll be joining the Expedition Society while you'll all still be there in the sky! Maybe! Whew…" She settles down with a sigh and faces me with an… oddly curious eye once more. "You know Indigo, I really can't thank you enough for being a friend who _actually_ supports my dream."

 _Wasn't… the hug enough?_

"W-Well… now that you mention it, I have a hard time believing that…" I pause. "You… did seem okay in the eyes of our… uh… classmates, so…"

"Oh, that's normal!" Her lively smile perks back up. "Every time I talk to any of them about that stuff they just say how I should wait 'til I'm older before getting my hopes up that high. But I'll show them! I'll show them all!"

 _Oh. Wait until she's older… oh._ The realization snatches me away from reality for a second. "Wait, wait, wait, are you saying that you're going to try this stuff _already?!"_

She cocks her head. "Well, duh. I'm not one to be underestimated, you know! After all, I'm absolutely positive I'm not your typical Snivy!"

I raise an eyebrow as I slowly look her from head to tail. _O… kay then…_

"Hey, come on!" I feel the soft nudge of her fist against my arm. "You're still on my side, aren't you? You said you'd look out for me and stuff!"

 _Uh…_ I rub my arm. "W-Well… yeah… I'm not telling you to stop dreaming… just to-"

"Great!" Her beaming smile overpowers my voice. "With you on my side, once we join the Expedition Society, we can do anything! Maybe!"

I blink with a furrowing eyebrow, mustering my tone. "W-Wait! Just… slow down for a second! Think about this! Give this… give this some time… it's not like your opportunity is going to fall out of the sky…"

 _That and I don't even know if I can join, how I can join, where I'm really supposed to be, then there's everything else specific about me I don't know about… not to mention the human stuff…_

Fia suddenly jerks her gaze ahead. "Wait, Indigo, look at that!"

Slightly puzzled by her shift to an alarmed tone, I follow her gaze and realize the urgency of her stare. Right there, up in the clouds, I catch a brief glance of something shooting downwards through the clouds.

My mouth remains agape. "W-Wha…"

"That's… really weird…" Fia shares my tone. "Shooting stars don't come around this time of day. You saw that too, right?"

I slowly nod. "Yeah… what… was that all about?"

"I'm not quite sure myself, to be honest."

The sudden addition of a voice makes me hurriedly turn around to see Espurr and Goomy standing there.

Espurr gives us a little wave and smiles. "Hello. I didn't happen to miss anything else, did I?"

"W-Wait…" I hesitate. "How long were you standing there?"

"Ever since I found Goomy."

"P-Please… try not to leave me behind again…" I look down to see Goomy shakily sigh. "I'm still not used to rushing when I slither-"

" _Guys!"_ Fia suddenly springs to her feet, the gesture almost knocking me to the ground. "You saw that thing that fell too, right? I think it was crashing towards Serene Village!"

Espurr tilts her head and puts a paw near her chin. "You… think? I suppose that's a sign we should hurry our way through the rest of this mystery dungeon… if we're really dealing with something of interest here."

"Exactly!" Another surprising gesture catches me off guard when I'm grabbed by the paw. "What are we waiting for, you guys? Let's go!"

I blink. _Wait wait wait-_

I cry out in surprise when I'm forced to take a running's pace in a few stumbling footsteps as Fia drags me to wherever she thinks the way forward is. I consider the option to attempt to protest, but Espurr and Goomy's calls to slow down does the speaking for me.

I let out a mix of a sigh and a breath of exhaustion. _Guess… all I can really do right now is wonder what or who exactly just crashed from the sky… Considering this kind of stuff isn't exactly normal… we must be in for something…_

* * *

 _Oh… so it turns out all those similarly coloured Emeras actually have subtle hue changes… which indicate different effects… Guess I need to memorize all of these-_

"Hey! Hey Indigo!" My attention is torn away from my desk at the sound of Fia's impatient voice. "Are you going to keep reading that boring paper Mr. Watchog gave you or what?! Come on, the four of us all got dismissed before the others got back from the mountain and everything!"

"O-Oh… okay…" I clutch my bag by its leafy strap and shove the paper into it.

And as I do so, Espurr approaching from the school entranceway, Goomy following behind her. "It seems your… 'guess' was right, Fia. There seems to be a commotion around the plaza."

"See, Indigo?!" Fia gives me a disapproving stare, pulling me up from my desk and already grabbing my paw. "We can't miss out on something like _this!_ Let's go!"

"O-O-Okay-"

I'm cut off once more when I'm back to being dragged off, following Espurr and Goomy down the path away from school. Once I manage to regain my footing and muster a proper pace alongside Fia instead of behind, I catch a view of the plaza in the distance. I even see some of the Pokémon I recognize as the normally passing villagers crowding the area.

Right when we slow down our pace, we find ourselves behind everyone else, barely able to peek over them. From what view I can muster over a Raticate's back, there seems to be not one, but two figures being crowded around.

"Hey! _Hey!"_ I look to my right to see Fia frantically waving her arms as she yells at a Lombre's back. She lowers her head with a sigh. "These people just won't listen to me! Now how're we going to see what's going on?!"

"I got this…" Espurr speaks up, slowly closing her eyes as her ears lift. "If they won't listen to you, then I'll just speak to them from inside their heads."

I slowly look her way with an impressed stare. _She… can do that?_

My question is answered when the Raticate and Lombre in front of us step aside, allowing the four of us to step forward to cast our curious looks at the subjects of attention. They face our way as well… uh… the one that isn't unconscious, at least.

Fia steps forward, looking more interested than the rest of us. "Wait a second, you're not from around here…"

"Indeed." With a blank stare, the Chespin moves a paw to nudge his… glasses? After he does so, he moves his paw back to assist in carrying an unconscious Fletchling in his arms. "Before you start asking about who I am and how I got here like everyone else, I need some help. My friend Flaps here didn't take a crash landing all that well…"

Espurr speaks up with an intrigued hum. "Our school's nurse is Serene Village's head doctor. We can take you there, if you'd like."

The Chespin nods. "I'd like that, thank you."

As he steps towards us, I'm given a better look at the extra accessories other than the Chespin's circular-framed glasses. While he has a strapped bag of some sort similar to mine, both he and the Fletchling (he called him Flaps, right?) are wearing some shining yellow badges with a sort of emblem on them.

 _Those… badges…_

Fia speaks up with a widened stare, as if realizing just when I did. "Wait, those _are_ badges, right?"

The Chespin raises an eyebrow at her giddy tone. "Yes, they are…"

I glance over to see his response only makes her more excited. … _guess I had to jinx it._


	6. 6: Recklessness and Regret

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 6 - Recklessness and Regret**

 **Indigo's POV**

"So… how long do you think that Chespin's gonna leave us waiting outside the office?"

"Perhaps not too much longer, Fia," Espurr replies. "Ms. Audino is usually adept with this kind of stuff. That is… unless the injury is as bad as the Chespin made it out to be."

I briefly shudder at the thought. _Crash landing… that Fletchling isn't dead, is he?_

I hear Goomy speak up. "Where do you guys think that Chespin came from, anyway? Lively Town? Or… some other continent?"

"My bet's on Lively Town!" I see a familiar glint in Fia's eyes. "I saw those badges! They're from where I think they're from, I'm absolutely positive on that!"

Espurr lets out a hum. "I'm more concerned with why they're here in the first place. It's the first time any commotion like this has happened recently, so I'm quite curious."

I pause. _W-Wait… this couldn't have had anything to do with me, could it?_

"Hmm? Is something the matter, Indigo?" I blink out of my thoughts at the mention of my name to see Espurr tilting her head at me. "You look like you have something on your mind."

"Oh…" I put a paw to the back of my head and sheepishly chuckle. "I'm just… as curious about this stuff as you are…"

 _I'm… not acting too suspicious, am I? Wait, wait, wait, am I even supposed to be worrying about being suspicious?_

Still amidst my thoughts, I almost don't catch the moment the Chespin walks out of the office's open doorway to see us, nearly jumping in the process.

Espurr is the first to step towards him. "How's your Fletchling friend?"

He pushes his glasses up, still wearing an oddly straight face. "The nurse said he'll be all better in a few days. Maybe earlier if we're lucky. Either way, I have no choice but to stay here for a while."

"I'm sure you'll enjoy it here in the meantime. Serene Village is a nice place, after all." She smiles at him.

The Chespin… smiles back? "Thanks, I'm sure I will. I'm Macadamio the Chespin, but I prefer to go by just Mac. How about the rest of you?"

Espurr lowers her head in a courteous gesture, allowing me a good look at how Mac is barely taller than the rest of us. "I'm Espurr, this is Goomy, and these two are Indigo and Fia."

"Uh… hi." I muster the most natural wave I can. _It's… really jarring to realize how I'm taller than everyone here… except for Mac, but that's not too surprising…_

 _Wait… why does his… uh… presence feel… oddly authoritative to me? Even something about his tone…_

"You know, Macaroon or whatever it was, I never got to ask you about that badge you're wearing!" I'm pulled out of my thoughts when Fia steps forward with an outburst.

Mac raises an eyebrow, his neutral expression returning. "I've noticed. I take it you want to know where I got my badge? My glasses too, perhaps?"

Fia excitedly nods.

I see a faint smirk on Mac's face. "While glasses are a normal thing around here, I'm still not quite sure how I got mine. Sure you can buy them from Lively Town's Kecleon Shop, but I still consider the origin of this accessory of mine as an enigma. But one thing's for sure, I'm thankful I didn't lose them in the crash."

I notice Fia's stare widen. "Wait, did you say Lively Town? Does that mean-"

Mac's smirk grows more amused. "The Expedition Society? That's right. Flaps and I have mostly just been flying around to wherever we please, but that changed ever since we stopped by Lively Town."

 _Oh… there it is…_ I brace myself for the explosion of energy to come. Glancing at Espurr and Goomy, I notice that they're flinching as well.

"So you _are_ an Expedition Society member!" Fia starts hopping up and down at a tempo that reflects her intensity. "I've always wanted to meet someone like that! Is it as great as I think it is? Do you get to go on cool adventures and see all the other places and stuff?"

"More or less," he chuckles. "If we're not tending to something major, we're helping locals out, that kind of deal. Either way, getting to explore mystery dungeons almost everyday is a good time." His smile drops for a second. "Well, except when I don't get a day off when I want a day off, but I digress."

Fia turns to face me, momentarily putting me on the receiving end of her intense excitement. "You hear that, Indigo? We can totally do that exploring stuff!" Luckily, before I can reel, she directs her gaze back to Mac again. "Do you think I can head back to Lively Town with you and join the Society?"

Mac's expression stirs even more than it has before. "Are you talking about right now? If you had to ask me, I wouldn't say to get your hopes up. Kids like you probably wouldn't do well in the Society."

… _oh._

The realization of imminent disappoint reaches me as soon as it reaches Fia. Her outburst follows. "Hey! I'm older than I look! Come on, joining the Expedition Society is my dream! You could at least give me a chance!"

Mac's look grows intrigued. "I suppose it mostly comes down to capability. Who knows, maybe if you're more capable than you look, you might have a chance." He pauses, speaking up before Fia can again. " _Might._ From the looks of things around here, this is a school for what I assume is mystery dungeon exploring. I take it you still have a _lot_ to learn about what mystery dungeons can throw at you, so you're going to have to find a way to prove you're really something special if you want to be hasty with this."

I blink with widened eyes, already bracing myself.

As if it isn't worse enough, Espurr decides to step forward. "He does have a point, Fia. I don't think it's a good idea to push yourself just yet. It could be much more dangerous out there for all we know."

I see Fia's shoulders tense. _Here it comes…_

"Just you wait!" she yells with a defiant tone. "Indigo and I are going to show you all that we are perfectly capable of doing this stuff!"

 _Oh no…_ With the mention of my name, Goomy and Espurr's eyes fall on me. And with their stares come Mac's.

Fia joins the ensemble of stares as well, this time with a smile. "We'll be in together, right?"

My voice returns to me in a stutter. "U-Uh… well… sure, I guess…"

"See!" Her defiant look directed towards everyone else returns. "I'm not alone in this! We can totally prove we can join the Expedition Society!"

 _Uh… I'm not completely against it… but I still think we should take this slow…_ Despite my protests, they remain sealed to my thoughts instead of being let out.

"Suit yourself," Mac replies, raising and eyebrow. "If you ever think you're ready and are prepared to make the trip, Lively Town's past Sheer Mountain Range and Gentle Slope Cave. At least, that's what I remember my map saying." He sighs, his look dropping. "Look, I'm really not trying to be mean. I just don't want anything to happen to you kids because of me. I just… I just want Flaps to get better so we can report back to the Society…"

Even then, Fia doesn't back down. "You know what, we're going to prove ourselves _before_ your friend gets better! That's right, we'll show you how capable we are _before_ you get to leave!"

 _W-Wait, no!_ This is where I cross the line, the sudden incentive being enough to let me step forward and speak. "Wait, wait, wait, Fia, come on, we don't really have to go through with this now… Maybe we can… uh… wait a few years until we're… more mature and ready?"

 _That's… how years work, right?_

She faces me, her grin still unwavering. "But why wait that long when we can prove ourselves now? Come on, we might as well do it while an _actual_ Expedition Society member is here!"

 _Urgh… I still can't get through to her…_ I can't help but start to raise my voice. "How are we even going to do something like that?!"

"You know, I'll come up with something!" She unrolls a map that's- _wait how did that get there?!_ "Here! I'll pick something out!"

"H-Hey! Give that back!" I lunge forward with a paw, only for her to sidestep out of the way and dash behind me.

I try to turn around, but something jerks on my tail and knocks me off my feet, leaving me to be dragged down the path out the school. I frantically struggle to get up from my rear.

 _Urgh…_ "Fia… come on!"

"La la la, can't hear you! I mean, just look at how many places there are here! We can definitely show Macaroni how capable we are!"

 _Come… on…_ I try to prop myself up on my feet despite the tugging but I'm cut off when the vine tightens around my tail and makes me yelp.

"F-Fine… I've… I've had enough of this!" I quickly whip my head around towards the vine wrapped around my tail. I clench my paw around it and focus.

I let the Force Palm blast loose, immediately causing the vine to sporadically spasm before withdrawing to a Snivy yelling in pain.

All of a sudden, a tinge of regret swells up within me as Fia's pained cry reaches my ears. Yet…

 _Come on, don't hold back now! You want to give her a piece of her mind, don't you?!_

I get up on my feet and clench my paws as Fia glares at me. _Good! Show her who's boss!_

She clenches her fists as well. "Hey! What'd you do that for?!"

 _Don't hold back._ "Will you just… listen to me for once?! Do you know how dangerous this stuff is?! There's no way we can pull this stuff off just like _that!"_

She hesitates. "But… but we've been doing really well so far!"

"We got _lucky!_ We could've died just as easily back there, especially in the Drilbur Coal Mine!" _Make her feel bad. Make her really feel it!_ "All because of how reckless you were! Before you know it, your blind hastiness is going to be both of our downfalls!"

It's then that I see her expression waver. "B-But… didn't you say you'd be supporting me?"

 _W-Wait… Fia…_ Just the sound of her diminishing tone and a faint sniffle is enough to make me- _Don't let that distract you!_

"At this rate, if I follow through with whatever you're doing, neither of us will be around to do _anything!_ All because of you pushing me around with _your recklessness!"_

The air stills once more. I see her lip quiver. "Isn't that why you're there to watch my back? As… close friends?"

I want it to stop. I've said too much. But my paws remain clenched, no matter how hard I try to will them not to. The tension won't go. I can't bring myself to turn back. I can't- _Make her lose hope in everything. Make her feel like everything's gone to waste. Show her just how much of a nuisance she is because "..._ you've been nothing but a burden to me!"

Dead silence. The two of us stand still, nothing but the breeze attempting to brush off the stiff atmosphere present. For a moment, I start to understand why silence can be described with such an adjective, almost as if I'm briefly experiencing it.

Then comes the sniffle that drops me back to reality. It comes again. Fia's shriveling tone follows. "W-Well… if that's what you think… then fine! I don't need you! You'd just hold me back with how I have to drag you everywhere! I-I'll… just join the Expedition Society on my own! I'll show you, you… you… you jerk!"

Her words reach my ears loud and clear, but any impact that could sink in merely bounces off. I can't even will myself to visibly wince. The only expressions capable of stirring here are Fia's.

She just stares back at me with tear-filled eyes. Eventually, she gives me one last look of disgust before bolting off.

There she goes, running out of sight while I just stand completely motionless, leaving a barely visible trail of her tears behind.

 _Excellent…_

And then it all comes back to me. The full realization of what exactly just happened. Everything from my quivering paws to the soreness from my yelling throat reaches my awareness in full force.

I blink. _Wha… what did I just do?_

The malice. The tears. Fia's words. The memory of it remains clear in my mind, but any memory of what control I had remains hazy.

Regardless, one fact remains very clear to me. Everything that happened is all on me. _Me._

I collapse onto my knees, my paws already starting to get stained by my own tears. My paws only continue to quiver as a flurry of thoughts start hammering at me.

 _Look what you did!_

 _You could not have worded that worse!_

 _You made her cry!_

 _She depended on you!_

 _She was the closest friend you've made here!_

 _And now it's all ruined!_

 _ **All because of you!**_

 _B-But… I-_ _ **All because of you!**_ My shaking paws rush to cover my eyes, already getting themselves soak. Any voice I can muster remains a rasp, unsure if it should come out as a sob or a scream.

 _Indigo. Indigo!_

A different voice enters my mind. Something more gentle and… familiar.

At the sound of Espurr's voice, I quickly wipe my tears and turn around to see her standing behind me, alongside several others.

"O-Oh…" I shakily get up on my feet. "What're you guys all doing here?"

Deerling is the first to step forward, concerned expression and all. "We got back from Glittering Mountain and got filled in on what happened with the Chespin back at Audino's office… but then we decided to head home and overheard everything."

My look droops. "Oh… everything?"

Espurr nods. "Even if we couldn't hear what was going on, I can still get answers just as easily using telepathy." Her flat expression becomes a frown. "However… I did find some… interesting things as I did so."

"I know Fia's a real handful, but man, that was something else." Pancham frowns at me, which is really saying something.

"You got that right," Shelmet adds, salt to the wound and all.

"Y-Yeah…" I lower my head. "I screwed up terribly… I really am worried, but at the same time, I went too far…"

Espurr looks up at me and gives me a little smile. "I believe you. I know sincerity when I hear it."

"M-Me too!" Goomy slithers forward, looking my way with quivering but confident eyes. "I… definitely still owe you for back then… so I'm on your side!"

"If these two believe in you, then I can't be too harsh," Deerling adds. "At least you feel sorry about what you did, which is certainly better than _some people."_

Pancham and Shelmet catch on to her hint and step forward with protesting looks. "Come on Deerling, you have to admit, he's a Fighting type who's messed up, I'm a Fighting type who's messed up, I'm not that bad!"

Deerling simply looks away from them with a dignified-looking pout.

 _These two really can't catch a break… can they?_

"Ah, whatever." Pancham turns to face me, going back to having that smirk on his face. "Maybe we can just put whatever differences we had aside, Indigo. Here I was thinking that there was only room for one Fighting Pokémon in this school, but I'll admit you're not half bad."

I just stand there with a now-puzzled look, unsure what to make of Pancham and Shelmet's opinion of me. … _thanks?_

Regardless, I find myself with a feeling of ease realizing how I'm not completely alone in this. Maybe all hope isn't lost yet.

I smile at them. "Thanks, everyone…"

Espurr nods at me. "You're the only Pokémon around here who's become that close of a friend to Fia, and I'm sure we all don't want to see something like that go to waste."

"If there's anything you need help with, feel free to let us know," Deerling adds. "Though, keep in mind that we can't just directly apologize on your behalf. That's your job."

"Oh, right…" I sheepishly chuckle. "Well… I appreciate your support at least…"

"So, what do you want us to do now?" Shelmet asks me. "Come on, it's not like any of us have much to do before going home, so do you have any quick plan on that brain of yours?"

I blink, silence returning as I'm suddenly aware of the number of eyes awaiting my response. "W-Well… uh… would you guys mind if I just head home for a bit? I need to… clear my head…"

Deerling steps towards me, giving me a gentle look. "Take all the time you need."

I let out a sigh of relief, and at that moment, I feel a brick of tension slip off my shoulders.

"Thanks."

 **Fia's POV**

Of all the places I decide to go to, _of all the places,_ I decide not to go to a mystery dungeon. All that's on my mind right now is everything _but_ mystery dungeon exploring.

 _He's… just like the rest of them… and to think I once thought he believed in me… urgh!_

I swing the door open and forcefully shut it with a vine as I rush past Pops in the main room and towards mine. As soon as I get there, I trip over my straw bed and face-first into it, agony pouring out of me in the form of tears and a muffled scream.

"Fia? What's the matter, child? Has something happened at school today?" I hear Pops call out.

I look up to see him glancing at me from the counter from the far end of the main room. I wipe my tears and send him a sigh. "Well, Pops… remember Indigo?"

He slowly nods. "I do remember you speaking fondly about him."

I sniffle. "We got into an argument…"

His eyes widen as his look grows stern. "Is he the one responsible for your sorrow? Am I going to have to talk to Nuzleaf?"

"No, no…" I trail off for a second. "Besides, it's… really my fault we argued…"

 _The last thing I want to do right now is bother Indigo some more…_

Pops still gives me a solemn look. "Would you like to tell me what you were quarreling about?"

I lower my head and sit on the straw bed with a shameful sulk. "I don't feel like talking about it…"

"Hmm… very well…" Pops turns his back towards me, now looking back down at the counter. "Don't worry yourself, child. I believe that whatever happened will wash away eventually. I'm making your favorite Oran Berry stew for dinner, so perhaps that can help."

I faintly smile. "Okay."

As I take a quick glance to the window and the beckoning beam of light it's letting in, I take a relaxed breath and shift my position, rubbing what puffiness is left in my eyes. I let my tail lay in the area of the sunlight's exposure and soak it up.

 _Ahhh…_ I retract my vines and relax.

Something papery lands on my shoulder. My curiosity immediately fades as I look down to see some rolled up paper perched there. I sigh as I brush it off.

 _I almost forgot I still had this…_ My frown returns. _I should just return this and get it over with…_

I glance back at my tail as it perks up, an idea sprouting up in my head at the same time.

 _Or… maybe I can still go through with this…_

I spring back to my feet, scooping the map back up with a vine as I do so.

 _Maybe one place wouldn't hurt…_ My eyes glide over the map's expansive whatevers until they land on that small corner of the Water Continent that's Serene Village. _A place with types I'm good against would be extra nice, too…_

And then I find it. Some swampy area with a name that just screams Water types. _Now to get there…_

Back over at the stove, Pops still has his back turned to me, still at work at getting that Oran Berry stew ready.

I sigh once again, not because of disappointment or anything, but just to get a pre-adventuring whiff of what I can come home to.

With a smile back on my face, I make my way to the window. _Sorry Pops, but as much as I love your stew, I have to follow the scent of adventure!_

 **Indigo's POV**

I let out a breath, finding some relief that it's the only little noise accompanying the breeze around me. As much as I appreciate knowing I have others on my side, the attention can be overwhelming. It's oddly soothing to know that all I can hear here are the sounds of my breathing and my knock on Nuzleaf's door now that I'm all alone.

…

… _wait, wait, wait, I'm alone, right? That means I should-_

I reach for the doorknob, only for it to start turning the opposite direction before I can even touch it. Before I can deduce why the door started opening on its own, it suddenly swings open in a way that makes me jump back.

And yet, I'm not the only one who cries out, as the figure who opened the door immediately drops the box in his hands, his loud but familiar cry almost giving me a moment of ease.

"Argh! What in tarnation?!" Mr. Nuzleaf staggers, clutching his foot as his box lands with a sort of clank. Even with his pained gaze and wincing, he looks at me and smiles. "Greetings Indigo… ya happy to take a gander at me? I certainly didn't expect to see ya back now…"

An amused chuckle escapes my mouth. _And here I was thinking that I'd be better here alone…_ "I… really didn't think you'd be back so soon…"

Mr. Nuzleaf smiles at me in a way that fits his tone. "If ya have to ask, I'd say things worked out surprisin'-ly well which let me get back here early."

As he bends over to pick up his box again, I notice that it seems to be wrapped in… chains? "Uh… Mr. Nuzleaf… if… you don't mind me asking… what do you even do?"

"Hmm?" His look shifts as he leans back from the box's weight. "I don't reckon a kid like you would understand much about this adult business. You could say I'm a delivery-mon of sorts since I'm headin' out for a spell."

"Wait…" My ears droop. "... you're leaving… already?"

"It won't be for long. Just need to get this box somewhere and I'll be back in a jiffy." He steps aside, letting me step in. "I'll be back before the day ends, I can definitely promise you that. But how 'bout you? Did school treat ya well?"

"Oh… that…" My tone stays flat. "Well… it's… a bit of a long story… when you get back, maybe?"

Nuzleaf pauses. "If you reckon that's the case, I can't argue." He sighs, a concerned tone reaching my ears. "You seem to have gone through a lot, but don't you worry too much. Take all the breather time you need."

I nod, and with that, he steps out, box and all. I shut the door for him once he walks out of sight, but- _Wait, wait, wait… doesn't Nuzleaf normally have a box here in the main room? Wasn't… Nuzleaf carrying it out?_

The sudden sound of knocking reaches my ears, making me turn around with more confused intrigue than surprise. … _already?_

I slowly open the door just a peek, not to see Mr. Nuzleaf standing there, but Mac, sternly blank look and all.

"Uh… hi Mac…" I open the door some more to see that he's not my only visitor. "Wait… what're you guys all doing here?"

"Mac saw Fia heading out, so we all thought it'd be best if we all informed you about it right away," Deerling replies, wearing a frown. "It seems urgent."

"W-Wait… urgent?" The passing breeze suddenly causes a chill to run through me, making me clutch my bag's strap tighter. "Did something bad happen?"

Mac shakes his head in an unreadable fashion. "Not yet. But if we hurry, we can make it in time. Long story short, right as I was buying supplies in the plaza, I happened to catch her heading out. Overheard her say something about heading to Poliwrath River. Even if she does have a map, if there's anything I've heard about this place here, it's that heading to that mystery dungeon is a _bad idea."_

The sudden expression in his emphasis just makes me feel even more uneasy. But even then, at the sound of the word 'mystery dungeon' gets my paw frantically reaching for my bag.

It just gets worse when my fishing session leaves me with anything _but_ my map. … _oh, of course she still has it!_

"Don't worry," Mac speaks up, probably realizing what my attempt meant. He pulls up a rolled up piece of paper from his own bag. "It's pretty much standard protocol for someone like me to have a map of the Water Continent. If you're ready to go, we should _probably_ hurry."

It doesn't take me a second to go back on my reply. "Let's go."

Mac… smiles at me? "Let's not waste any time. This way!"

Before I know it, I'm rushing with the rest of my classmates as Mac leads us all away.

 _Come on Fia… please be okay… I'm worried…_

Mid-dash, right as I glance at everyone else trying to keep up(Goomy especially), I realize I'm not alone in this. If Pancham and Shelmet of all Pokémon seem genuinely concerned enough to have a determined pace similar to mine, then _that's_ definitely saying something. Especially considering I should be the one most worried about this.

 _Especially considering that it's my fault I did that whole outburst… I was… I was just worried…_

My quivering returns, but I quickly shake it off and pick up my pace.

 _W-Well… whether or not you're worrying too… we're coming, Fia!_


	7. 7: Bound Bond Symbols

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 7 - Bound Bond Symbols**

 **Indigo's POV**

The last time I've gone this far from the village, I never really thought much about it… at least, compared to now. Considering I was alone back then, I found that strange at first. I'd think a 'foreboding' purple to be more quiver-worthy than this faded green area we're in.

But I guess it's really because even if we're all here, this still feels like a dilemma where the clock is against us. It's like a 'life or death' sort of situation… right?

"Uh… Mac?" I let the sound of my voice settling into our otherwise silent trek set for a second. "Why exactly is this place so dangerous, again?"

He sighs from the front of our group and gives me an… unamused look. "You don't wanna know."

 _Did… the others ask him before or… something like that?_

Even given his neutral tone, there's some sort of glint in his stare that comes off as stern, leaving me to silently respond with an obedient nod.

With that, Mac goes back to leading the rest of us through the excessively damp area at a… well, moderate enough pace. Even if we were all rushing like mad to get here, that all changed the second moisture entered the equation to more than just the air. Before long, all of us caught onto the act of slowing down just enough so as to not splash each other.

As good as it is to see Goomy and Shelmet casually strolling alongside us as if they've made themselves feel at home, I don't think the same can be said for the furred rest of us. I can understand why no one else has spoken up in a while when they're too busy trying to wade without getting too soaked. I can definitely understand Deerling and Espurr's looks of mild disgust. I don't know too much about how to maintain my fur… I think… but I don't want to get it ruined _already._

I pause, feeling an odd chill as I continue trudging on.

 _I'm already almost drenched to my knees… I don't even know how I can wash this off… Urgh, I hope we don't have to get into too many hostile encounters here…_

 _Don't worry. It seems like we're not going to have to remain concerned about that._

The sudden sound of an additional voice leaves me in a startled daze, causing me to frantically look around until I see Espurr's stare aimed my way.

My look grows relieved. _O-Oh… I… I… almost forgot you could do that…_

 _It took a while for the others to get used to it too._ She motions for me to stare ahead, which I do. _You don't have to worry too much, Indigo. From the looks of things, Fia already took much of our problems out._

Right as Espurr says that, I noticed some other things floating in the water than the soggy items I presumed were just typical mystery dungeon protocol to have. Wait, not things, but figures.

 _Lotad… Barboach… wait, Espurr, are you saying…_

 _That's right. We don't have to worry about hostiles as much now, which should hopefully make it quicker to get through this. I'd speak up about this, but I feel like doing that at this point would just break Mac's navigation mindset. But at least with this telekinesis, I can talk to all of you guys._

Hearing that last second in my head makes me shift my gaze away from Mac's back to see everyone else giving Espurr intent stares, then silently looking around at everyone else like what I'm doing. I feel a brief moment of embarrassed realization at the possibility that I'm not the only one Espurr's talking to.

I see her nod at… well, nothing in particular as she continues. _All of us really aren't fond of wading through here… I'd levitate myself, but trying to do one-way telepathy with all of you guys at once is already a bit much. I'm hoping we can get out of here as soon as possible too. Even Mac looks generally unamused to have his fur wet… wait, Shelmet, not like that!_

I decide to continue listening and direct any thoughts I have to no one in particular. Even if I can't hear what everyone else is saying, just hearing Pancham and Shelmet's snickering is enough to piece somewhat of a story in my head. Then again, seeing Deerling and Goomy's expressions looking as unsure as I am leaves me with second thoughts.

Whatever the case, I still feel obliged to listen. Right now, while I'm being urged to physically and mentally shudder, I can do with something to keep my mind occupied. Just listening to Espurr respond to everyone else's thoughts is actually amusing. To just walk here alongside some other Pokémon I can at least call allies as they're all doing friendly stuff… it feels oddly natural to me.

Now that I do think about it, this very moment right here is the most familiar I've felt with anything I've experienced so far. Everything I've gone through starting from… well, me starting out in this world felt jarring. But this? I'm comfortable with this, even if I might not know everyone here that well yet. I mean, if I don't even know myself that well, I might as well _try_ to start knowing the others better so I have some familiar ground to work with. Goomy's unsure look, Deerling's rolling eyes, Pancham's snickering, and Shelmet's smirk all directed towards Espurr's inner voice give me a good idea of what it's like being around the bunch like this.

All of a sudden, Espurr's look shifts. Her eyes widen… well, more than they already are, but in a way that makes her look terrified. The increased stiffness of her expression and her sudden silence doesn't help. Everyone else's shift in concern just escalates my worried intrigue.

She finally blinks. _Everyone… I'm just… really concerned at how Fia's holding up now. I've read Mac's mind about it and… he's right. You really don't want to know._

The return of silence for a more vague but somber reason leaves me back to shuddering. My paws find themselves rubbing my arms as I'm filled with the sensation of feeling alone again without a voice to listen to. Do I ask Espurr more about it, even if she looks very uncomfortable right now? Or… maybe I can risk breaking Mac's silently implied concentration and ask him instea-

His features suddenly enter the midst of my gaze as he gestures for us to quicken our pace. "The bottom shouldn't be too far from here! Come on, everyone!"

Oddly enough, I don't question the lingering urgency in his tone and follow suit. My mind pushes away any form of hesitation and I'm running on my own. The sounds of several more sloshy footsteps accompany mine as I break to a run. I'd worry about tripping, but something inside me is urging not to bother about it and continue doing as Mac says.

I won't question it… not that I seem like I can. Not that it matters, either. The ambiguity of Fia's current state is enough to keep my stamina up.

 **Fia's POV**

Even with all the Water types here, keeping my stamina at its peak is becoming really taxing. This place really could do with some more sunlight. Or maybe the reason not much sunlight comes in here is _because_ of how all those Water types are afraid of us Grass types! Ha, jokes on them! They must really be underestimating how long I can go without photosynthesis!

Really, the only real "trouble" I've had is trying to keep Indigo's map dry. I'm completely fine with taking any Water type attacks any day (except for a Scald, but that's another story) but I don't wanna walk back to Indigo with some shriveled paper! On the bright side, even if this place is far from the brightest, it's been fun trying to up my dodge game to see how I can keep the map from touching the ground! I'm not the best of that game, but…

… _maybe I'll still have to end up buying him a new map…_

But maybe I can worry about that later. Before I can bring myself to book it out of here, I have to turn in the three guys this place is named after! I've heard quite a bit about them around the plaza. Mainly while I was sneaking around while I wasn't supposed to be sneaking around. I didn't hear _that_ much, but that's what assumptions are for! Poking my nose around where I shouldn't may be enough to get me scolded, but I'm sure what these guys do is worse from what I've heard! Whatever it is!

Am I going to figure it out myself? Maybe. I can't be too far from the bottom…

 _There it is! This has to be the place!_ I skip to a stop at the large area around me and take a second to gawk. Not in amazement for anything, just because… _whoa, that is a large lake! I don't know if dark swampish areas like these can even have lakes… but it looks like I'd just sink if I tried coming over there. I don't even think I can swim!_

And right as I think that, three large figures jump out of the very deep puddle in front of me. I quickly jump back and perch the map by my shoulder, gripping it with my vine as I withdraw it. I stare the landing creatures down, trying to step out of the incoming drizzle.

The three Poliwrath all let out a deep bellow. "Wra-a-a-th!"

That's when they all return the gaze, except pulling off the more mature intensity better than what I can muster. But that doesn't really matter!

"Hey!" I take a step forward and try to make my stare look more menacing. "I'm here to defeat you!"

They start looking at me as if I'm some sort of… little kid to them. Maybe. I don't know, it's really hard to tell when they don't look like they have any mouths.

And then one of them decides to speak. "We'd rather not bother with you right now, little girl! You've got another thing coming for you!"

 _He's talking like that invisible mouth is big enough to brag about…_ I clench a fist and start waving it at them. "I'll take you on either way! I'm just not some weakling!"

The Poliwrath who spoke before looks at the other two, almost looking unsure. Then they nod at each other and turn back to face me with the mood of their stares completely transformed. I feel like the best way to describe it is what I'd look like if I mischievously snuck up on my prey of Oran Berry stew. Except these three seem to have that… more mature look to it…

 _Wait, do they want to eat me or something?! With what mouths?!_

"You know what, little Snivy, you're just asking for it!" A Poliwrath starts cracking the knuckles on his huge fists and slowly steps towards me. "Hope you don't mind things getting messy! And I'm talkin' 'bout more than just water!"

Another one calls out to a nearby puddle. "Just one moment! This could be a good chance to finally have our lackey join his first bout!"

He… whistles? I'd question the lack of a mouth some more, but I quickly become more curious about the stirring puddle nearby. Another figure jumps out, but really, what more can these guys even throw at me?

 _Not much, apparently._ All I see is a Poliwag trying to make its most terrifying gaze.

This _can't_ all they have. " _That's_ your lackey?"

And that's when they all start to look upset. "Laugh all you'd like! He's a special one who's come all the way from the Grass Continent! Don't let his looks fool you! He's a Belly Drummer, just like us!"

 _Ha, what a pushover- wait, Belly Drum?_

The sound of some solid pounding noise makes me look over to see the Poliwag slapping his swirly stomach thing with his tail. I may not pay that much attention to what Mr. Farfetch'd said moves done, but I do remember Belly Drum being up there with the moves that _really_ help Pokémon pack a punch.

Before I can fully process it, I'm struck across the face when the Poliwag lunges at me with his tail. I try to cry out, but my voice becomes muffled as my head splashes against the ground. And just like that, the wind is already knocked out of me and leaves my vision to blur. All I can make out as I face the dark green above is a single ray of sunlight poking through, as feeble as my fading stare.

 _Urgh… help…_

The light disappears. I'm starting to black out, too. If blacking out involved my vision not actually going black. As if surging through me, the sunlight ray from before takes up all I can see. Next thing I know, I'm springing back to my feet as good as new as if I've gone through some split-second photosynthesis.

I look to what sky I can see and grin. _Thank you, sunlight! It's like I can call on you whenever I want now!_

With all the oxygen I can ask for coursing through my lungs and my tail as perked and pointy as ever, I take a good look ahead of me and-

I only get a split second to notice the Bubble Beam headed my way before it pushes me back. Even if I'm back to being soaked, I stand my ground.

I easily shake it off most of the water. "Is that all you got?!"

My soggy vision clears as I wipe my eyes, only for what gaze I have to drop when I see the three Poliwrath looming over me.

"We've got you right where we want you."

All my eyes manage to land on are their glowing swirly stomach things, which are really all I can longingly stare at that isn't their smirking gaze… _come on, snap out of it!_

I try to tear my gaze away from the Hypnosis, but everywhere else I try to look is just another glowing swirly… it doesn't help that they're all huddling to back me into a corner…

 _Come on, move! Snap… snap out of it…_ I start to sway. I think this is what blacking out for real is like… just me… the really pretty glowing swirlies… and the ground to go beddy-bye on…

 _No…_ I slip away. I let myself fall into the soggy darkness. The last thing I hear is a whisper right by my ear.

"It'll all be over before you know it."

 _It'll… all… be… over…_

I don't know what's they're going to do… but I can't complain… even with my eyes closed… swirls are pretty…

What… are they going to do?

…

Something explodes. Like, something that I can definitely say went _boom._ But an explosion of _anything_ at a place like this?!

 _Wait… I know that smell…_

I instantly regain control of my everything and prop myself right where I remember myself being, except there aren't any Poliwrath obnoxiously shoving their swirly things in my face. And then I take in that grassy scent some more to see a Seed Bomb being thrown across the room, and _then_ it explodes!

 _So_ _ **that's**_ _where those three creepy jerks are!_ Really, I don't know if I should be more satisfied at seeing those Poliwrath careening, or at how awesome it is to see a Seed Bomb before my very eyes! Maybe because of how I'd love to blow stuff up on my own one day, I'd say the move takes _my_ cake.

 _Wait, who used that, anyway?_

I follow the follow-up Seed Bomb's direction and find a green-shelled somebody nearby. And right next to him are some more familiar somebodies! And right next to _those_ somebodies are…

He slowly takes me by the hand and helps me up. "You… okay?"

I try to straighten my gaze. Sure, it's really surprising to see Mac and the others from school here, but seeing Indigo be _here of all places_ is just… "I'm okay." … _just… wow…_

Being back to my feet suddenly reminds me of how drenched I am from falling over. I quickly shake myself off and take a better look at everyone standing alongside Mac.

"You guys…" I pause, still unsure of what exactly just happened and why. "Did you really come here for me?"

Indigo is the first to nod. "It's… a good thing we made it in time."

I notice Espurr levitating beside him, sharing the same look. "Just in the nick of time, too. We would've walked into quite the scene otherwise."

My look changes. "Wait, did you know these Poliwrath were going to eat me right from the start-"

Indigo rams into me and knocks me to the ground, right as I see another Bubble Beam whizz right past us. I'm back to rapidly blinking some more. _That was close…_

I quickly get a hold my senses as he helps me back up again. He sighs. "I'm just glad you're fine…"

Even with the awkward circumstances ( _or maybe_ _ **because**_ _of it…)_ I can't help but smile at him. "Yeah."

"Hey! Lovebirds!" The sudden call close by gives me a widened stare as I quickly direct it ahead to see the others trying to fend off the Poliwrath and that one Poliwag. Pancham sneers at us. "Less whatever you're doing, more fighting!"

"O-Oh…" Indigo responds, back to sheepishly rubbing his head.

I don't blame him. I'd do the same if Pancham called us out on _that_ of all things. Well, I'd definitely do _more_ about it, but that's for another time when that bully _isn't_ on our side.

Because right now, my vines have a different target in mind. I smirk. "Got it!"

 **Mac's POV**

I really didn't expect these kids to pack as much of a punch as I anticipated. Back at Serene Village, I did agree to let them all tag along for the sake of soothing their concerns, but I wasn't expecting to be fighting alongside them. Then again, my assumptions on their capabilities can't be held completely solid. Even if I've had my fair share of continent wandering from the start, I've spent that time acting more like an intrigued observer rather than a dutiful note taker. Crashing in Serene Village made me wonder how I'd fare truly alone for once, but this current scenario told me my solo mission would come another day. Though I still can't help but worry that it'll come in a way I don't like.

The least I can do is make sure this Poliwrath in front of me isn't that reckoning's bringer. I'm aware of his heightened attack state due to Belly Drum, yet he still fires his Bubble Beams at me as if this is all he can do to soften me up.

 _That can't be all he has in store…_ They've learned how to handle my Seed Bomb. I did what damage I can, but now, every time I form a projectile in my hand, they throw its trajectory off with a blast of water. With my only Grass type offensive move out of the equation, I'll have to get in close. Fortunately, that's something I can do.

Try as this Poliwrath must to disable my method of projectile, he also lacks his own ranged way of dealing with me. The most worry a continuous Bubble Beam spray shot from this guy can cause me is the need to clean my glasses again. I really don't have to worry about much as I start jogging closer to him. The only other close ranged surprise this guy can land on me is…

I suddenly jerk a leg to one side and let the gesture's momentum carry my direction. The Poliwrath is left standing vulnerably with a failed Hypnosis attempt with his back exposed. With the way he just stood there and got ready to puff his chest as I paced towards him made his move predictable.

As he stands there in a brief daze at his attempt, I make my move. I curl one of my paws into a fist and catch it with the other, the brief gesture enough to surround them with a powerfully red aura as I feel all of my body stiffen. With the Bulk Up transferring its hardened power to my paw, I sock the Poliwrath square on the backside, my effort earning me the sound of a satisfying impact and a fainted Water type.

 _That wasn't too hard._ The momentum from my blow rushes back to me in a surge of energy, rewarding the damage dealt with an almost equal amount of damage restored. Not that there was any damage to worry about. On my end, at least. There's still a battle going on.

Even if I'm not supposedly alone right now, I still have to fully assess the field of battle myself. Deerling and Pancham are fighting off one Poliwrath. Shelmet and Goomy are distracting another. We've left Espurr and that Riolu to see if the Snivy is still okay. And with one Poliwrath down, that leaves…

I catch notice of the pitter-patter behind me. The increasing pace tells me that a close ranged strike is incoming. I turn my back to look behind me, but only slightly. While a Poliwrath's back is just as exposed as his face, my shell makes landing a good sneak attack on me very hard.

This is no different. I just feel the swinging tail knock on my back, as if only trying to call for my attention. As all knocks do. I follow through with my action of turning around and give the Poliwag a careful look, still wary of the dangerous aura around him to match that attempt of a glare.

"Sorry kid," I let out a breath, quickly whipping out a Wand with my dominant paw. "but you'll need more than a Belly Drum to crack me. Better luck next time."

With a brisk but gentle tap, I let the Slumber Wand touch the Poliwag's head with just enough contact to let the sleeping dust sprinkle over, leaving one less Pokémon to deal with.

I sigh and put the Wand back. That just leaves the two other Poliwrath the other kids are dealing with. I better rush to them before anything happens…

There. Right as I survey my surroundings once more, my attention is immediately caught by a reeling Deerling allowing a Poliwrath to make a move on Pancham. The flaring aura the Poliwag had now present on the much bigger Water Fighting type just makes matters worse. I can shout a warning about the incoming Dynamic Punch, but what then?

I quickly piece together a plan and get a Seed Bomb to form around my paw. With an added bit of focus and concentration, the brownish shell of my projectile is spruced up with its own flaring multicoloured aura. _I hope these kids know how to use these…_

"Pancham!" I yell, pulling my paw back. "Heads up! Alliance Attack incoming! Use it against the Poliwrath coming from behind!"

I hurl the projectile and silently wish to Arceus Pancham catches it, let alone know how to use these. Thankfully, his paws grasp it, fumbling at first and upon doing so, Pancham curls one of his paws into a fist and absorbs my projectile into it, multicoloured aura and all. He quickly turns on his heel just in time to meet the approaching Poliwrath fist-to-fist. I stand my ground as the impact lets a visible shockwave loose from where the two stand, in the end, leaving them in a sort of strength stalemate where neither of them budge.

I let my held breath relax as I push my glasses back up. _It was just enough._

Suddenly, the next problem arises when the Poliwrath reveals that he has two fists affected by his power boost while Pancham only has one powered paw. I quicken my pace and weigh my options. I can't get there fast enough, so a projectile will have to do. However, a Seed Bomb's area of impact would end up catching Pancham in it, and if I tried to use a Wand, I'd have to waste no time and pull out the first one I grasp-

Before my paw finds itself in my bag, I skid to a stop just in time to notice a blue beam of psychic energy meet the Poliwrath head on, this time being an attack enough to send him a few ways away. With me and Pancham directing our gazes to its direction, we see that Espurr and that Snivy heading our way.

 _Looks like she's still okay._ "How're all of you holding up?" I ask them all.

"Now that was wicked!" Pancham smirks beside me. "I need to make sure Shelmet knows how to do that!"

"Regarding Shelmet," Espurr speaks up. "is he still holding up okay?"

I quickly direct my gaze towards the site where I last saw the Poliwrath to see Shelmet and Goomy still attempting to space the Poliwrath out with varying amounts of success. I'd question how they'd fare with their ranged attacks if that Poliwrath got close, but as if to answer, a blue-furred figure attacks the hulking Water type in darting blur.

 _That Riolu must be helping them out._ I quickly look back to our present group of four. "We can end this quickly if we all press forward. Is Deerling still okay?"

Espurr looks behind her, just as the Grass type in question groggily makes her way towards us. "Still up, it seems."

"I'm… still standing. He just swatted me away, that's it." She says, even if I can see the evident stagger in her legs.

I adjust my glasses. "Pancham, Espurr, you're with me." I quickly take an Oran Berry out of my bag. "Here, Snivy. Stay here and make sure Deerling's still okay."

"Hey!" A vine catches the berry and gives it a little squeeze, the gesture evident with her current pout. "I go by a name other than that, Macaroon!"

I raise an eyebrow and adjust's my bag strap. "So do I. Maybe I'll call you by name when you actually get mine right." With no time to waste, I bring my attention back to Espurr and Pancham. "Let's go."

 **Fia's POV**

"Come on, hey-"

"Let it go, Fia…" Deerling sighs beside me. "I think we should just listen to him."

Even as she says that, I can see that disappointed look on her face. "I know you wanna help out too! Why should we take orders from him? It's not like he's an adult! I think!"

"He does seem older than us, I'm sure." Deerling's stare perks up a bit as she stares ahead. "Besides, he seems to know what he's doing. He handled the Poliwrath and the Poliwag really well."

Did Deerling just sound… impressed?

"Besides…" She continues, still staring ahead. _If only Pancham and Shelmet were hearing her right now._ "... isn't he one of those Expedition Society members you look up to so much?"

"I… almost forgot." I follow the direction of Deerling's staring to see that golden badge shine once more, circular-looking winged emblem and all. It never really occurred to me how well he battles. He doesn't even look like he took a scratch of damage. Even right now, despite that shell, he knows how to sidestep and weave while still getting some close blows.

 _Maybe I can learn to fight like that…_ My attention is brought to another Pokémon doing a fair share of punching and kicking. Even from here I can notice that Mac's been giving orders, but not yelling or barking them, just… passing instructions. And Indigo seems to be the one doing those instructions best. It could just be because Indigo's the obedient type, but I feel like there's more to that…

Wait, what am I thinking?! Why am _I_ the one staying back here not fighting?! I'm a perfectly fine Grass type who's ready to kick some Water type butt!

 _The same can be said for Deerling, right?_ I suddenly remember the Berry still in my vine and turn to see Deerling. Judging by that look on her face, she probably knows about the look on my face.

"You-"

"Wait here!" I shove the Berry into her mouth and run without a second thought.

 _Hee hee hee! Here I come!_ With my vines now free, I let them loose and prepare my blows. I just need to run past everyone else and make a straight shot for that Poliwrath ahead! All I need to do is make sure I don't get hit by any Bubble Beams along the way, but even if I get hit that shouldn't be too bad-

 _Whoa!_ I barely manage to sidestep out of the way when a bluer beam whizzes past me, almost catching me off guard with how much faster it was than a Bubble Beam. The sudden chill in the air where the beam just was makes me realize.

I quickly look ahead to see more of those Ice Beams being fired _everywhere._ Everyone's even retreating behind Shelmet and his Protect barrier!

"And they all laughed at me for having Ice Beam!" I hear the Poliwrath yell. " _They laughed!"_

I continue running ahead at full speed, getting something prepared as I get my vines ready for something other than whipping. Right as I get a bit closer to the Poliwrath busy trying to wear Shelmet down with an Ice Beam, I raise my vines up before slamming them to the ground as I jump. The very gesture sends me higher into the air, just enough to send me sail over the group hiding behind Shelmet. That just leaves me looming above the Poliwrath with him ripe for my picking.

I ready my tail and focus, preparing to bring it forward to launch a gust of Twister wind. And yet, right before I let it loose, I notice a whole buncha leaves caught in the much larger gale. The realization leaves me with a smirk as I let the Leaf Tornado loose. As I do that, the force of its bluster is enough to keep me hovering in the air as the wind blasting from my tail continues, almost like a tornado beam but with leaves!

Right when my attack runs out of juice, I land back on the ground, right next to the fainted Poliwrath covered in leaves and cuts.

"Ha!" I kick him right on his stupid forehead. I turn around to see all of the others giving me shocked looks. "Hey guys! I was really cool, right?"

Apparently I must've been _really_ cool, because they all still have those surprised looks. Terrified, even.

Mac suddenly yells. "Of _course_ you- _brace yourself!"_

 _What did I do? Brace myself for what?_ They all still look terrified. Terrified of me? Wait, no… terrified of… something near me? _Wait a second, I know that smell…_

My nose follows that smell of burning seed to see a small little something about to explode beside me, right near where the Poliwrath fainted. _H_ _ow long was that there-_

 _Agh!_ I quickly flinch and shut my eyes when I hear the Seed Bomb explode, sending me reeling to the wet ground right as it does. Surprisingly, it doesn't even hurt that much, or even feel like an explosion for that matter. For something that blows up, it sure feels… furry…

With the coast probably safe and my consciousness probably also safe, I open my eyes to see a pair of blue arms protectively wrapped around me. I stagger a bit as Indigo helps me back to my feet.

I blink, still unsure of what just happened. Indigo simply sighs with an unreadable look on his face, glancing back to where I was just standing before the explosion. "Let's just… head back."

I let out a breath as well. _Okay…_

 **Indigo's POV**

 _Whew… are we all here?_

As the light of the Escape Orb fades to reveal us all back in Serene Village's empty plaza, I take a look around myself to make sure we all actually got teleported back. Fia, Pancham, Shelmet, Deerling, Espurr… "Hey… guys… where's Mac?"

Deerling steps to face me, hesitating at first. "He gave us the Escape Orb so we could leave, remember? I think he mentioned something to do with making sure the Poliwrath don't cause any more trouble."

"He'll be fine, I'm sure of it," Espurr nods. "Deerling, I'm more concerned with how your parents will take your sudden struggle to walk straight."

 _Is… that what happened?_ "Are you-"

Pancham and Shelmet immediately rush to Deerling's side, bumping into me in the process. "If you need help walking home, I'll help you!"

"No, come on, don't let him do it! His fur is all wet and stuff! I'll help you instead!"

Deerling sighs and shakes her head. I don't blame her… "I'm fine, you two. I'll just tell my parents I got a bit roughed up during school's exploration session today. Hopefully that'll also cover why it took us until night to get back."

"You know what, I'll use that excuse too!" Pancham exclaims, almost proudly.

"Ditto!" Shelmet raises his mouth to the starry sky.

Goomy slithers towards them. "M-Me too! I… don't know how my parents would react if it were anything else…"

Espurr nods. "Hope that works well for you all." She then turns to face me and Fia. "How about you two? Do you think you'll get your way with your… pardon me, guardians?"

Fia answers first, quickly going back to wearing her grin. "I don't know if Pops is gonna buy that school excuse, but I'm absolutely positive I'll think of something."

"W-Well… I don't feel comfortable lying to Nuzleaf… so I'll just hope he understands…" I look back towards Espurr with a curious stare of my own. "How about you?"

Her gaze trails off for a bit. "I wouldn't worry as much. Even with what's happened, I quite certain I don't have to be concerned about this." Her unreadable stare shifts once more, this time looking towards the sky. "It's quite late, don't you all think?"

"Agreed…" Deerling lets out a breath. "It's best if we head back now."

Everyone else nods, and with that, everyone else parts ways, leaving me just… standing here. _Wait, wait, wait, I should really head back now…_

It took me a bit to realize why I'm hesitating. I never actually got to see Serene Village like this when it's night. Just the wind and the stars… it's jarring. I think I understand why this place is called 'serene'. Even if I'm alone right now, it doesn't feel worrying like that scary type of alone… it feels peaceful. Perhaps it's just because this is my first time being here where there aren't any other Pokémon passing by. It really just feels like some tranquil setpiece rather than some ghost town. It feels good… almost too good…

I let out a breath and make my way to the little wooden bridge out of the plaza and to the path of houses. _I should really leave… let this… area be in peace…_

"Hey Indigo."

I immediately blink, my thoughts phasing out at the voice of the Snivy suddenly in front of me, leaving me staggering a bit on the bridge. "O-Oh…" The urge to let my awkward gaze trail off takes me as I rub the back of my head with a paw. "Hi, Fia…"

Even if I'm taking a few glances at her, I notice that Fia's stare is just as… well, hesitant as mine. "So… Indigo… is it okay if we talk? By the big tree?"

"Sure…" I cautiously reply, her change of tone catching me off guard.

As soon as I respond, she turns on her heel and starts leading me towards the path out of the village. Yet, as I walk after her in the dead silence of the night, something feels… off…

It dawns on me amidst the oh-so-awkward quiet. Here Fia is, leading me to the big tree, her favorite place. That's something to be excited about, isn't it? And she's actually leading me on instead of dragging me there…

 _Wow… am I_ _ **that**_ _used to her already?_ I think I might be. Even if I feel _just_ a bit uncomfortable with my personal space being nonexistent around her, I'd definitely take that over this Fia who'd probably ask my permission for everything. _To make decisions for someone other than myself…_

I shudder at the thought. Just enough of the incentive I need to hasten my pace to where I'm right next to Fia. Before she can notice, I take a quick breath and catch her hand in my paw.

 _Whew… here goes nothing…_ As to be expected, my gesture earns me a surprised look that asks for an explanation on my part.

"I… well… I guess if you're not gonna do it, someone's gonna have to, right?" I sheepishly chuckle, trying not to let the quiver in my paw show.

She smiles at me, returning the grip as her stare turns… grateful. "Thanks."

"Uh… you're welcome?"

Fia responds with a giggle before leaning forward and picking up her running pace, me still in her gripped tow. Even if it takes me a bit of stumbling to keep up, my smile lingers. _There she is._

With our pace quickened, it doesn't take us long to see Serene Village's entrance off right as we get a view of its plaza again from atop the hill with the big tree. It takes me a bit to sit down once Fia lets my paw go. I've only been here once before, but seeing this view again in a literal new light leaves me with more to take in and marvel at. The familiar breeze is still here, but coupled with the view of the peacefully quiet village in the distance and the stars dotting around us makes it all feel like a whole new set piece.

The afternoon view I saw yesterday felt like its own modest but bustling view, while this one really shows how good Serene Village looks during after hours with the night sky watching. Even now, seeing the distant view like this from a vantage point, I start to feel like an observer of sorts. Of course, I'm not alone in this, either.

The sound of Fia's quiet sigh makes me turn to face her. She's been… awfully quiet for a while now. With this view, I don't blame her … but… what's on her mind?

I clear my throat for a quick second. "So… Fia… what did you want to talk to me about?"

She hastily turns to face me, a sudden panic in her eyes. "Wait, who's Sofia-" She stops. "Oh, wait. You're talking to me, right?"

I raise an eyebrow. Even if I'm more confused than ever, I try not to show it. "Yes?"

"Right, right…" She looks away for a second before looking back at me with a straight face, unfurling a vine. "Indigo… I want to say sorry. For our argument earlier, and for taking this."

She brings my attention to a rolled up paper of some sort at the end of the long appendage. I accept it and eye it curiously, holding it carefully since the paper seems to have softened. "Wait… is this… my map?" _W-Well, actually, it's Nuzleaf's, but…_

"Sorry for taking it." She lowers her head. "I at least tried to not get that thing wet back at Poliwrath River… even if that didn't really work out as well as I'd like."

"Oh… well, still, thanks." I roll the map back up and tuck it into my bag. "In… all honesty, I actually forgot about that whole argument thing… But really, thinking about it now, I should be the one apologizing."

My words win her attention over as she suddenly jerks her intrigued gaze to meet my eyes. "Wait, why?"

"W-Well… because…" The details immediately resurface, both on my physical state and my mental state. "I… I don't know what came over me!" All those words. All that yelling. All that… all that stupid malice. "I… I know this sounds stupid, but I really didn't mean anything I said…" That volcano of thoughts threatens to erupt in my head once more, leaving me to turn away and clutch my head with my paws. "You're not a nuisance… I'm just worried… I don't want you to push yourself too far to the point where you'd just… not come back." In an attempt to block it all out, my mind repeats a single thought. "I… don't know what came over me with everything else… I'm sorry…"

I've said what I wanted to say. I don't even know if I apologized well enough. At this point, I'm already fearing for Fia's response. My eyes shut, paws still clutching at the fur on my head.

 _You shouldn't have bothered._ They're coming back. _What you said was too bad to begin with. Now you're going to get it for sure, you whelp._ At this point I just want all the air knocked out of me just so I wouldn't be conscious enough to hear whatever response my lame excuse is going to get. _No air, no breathing, nothing._ Stop stop stop stop stop-

"Indigo."

There it is. The sound of a soft voice calling out to me. Beckoning me as if it's safe and everything is going to be okay. My eyes slowly open to see Fia closer to me, giving me a concerned look that tempts to drive away the stress from my tensed limbs. I don't know if there's something going on with what moonlight's here or with the twinkling stars, but in this very second, I find the hopeful light amidst the darkness.

Fia continues speaking, hand still on my shoulder. "It's okay. I dunno what went on before, but I get it. I can get stupid reckless at times." I catch a hint of her smile. "Even my Pops gets that. And hey, don't be too hard on yourself. I say stupid stuff almost all the time! I think!"

Her perking enthusiasm catches on to my little chuckle. _I don't… think she quite understands what was going on in my head but…_ "Thank you…"

She responds with a giggle. "Hey, come on, I should be the one thanking you! You're not kidding when you say you're worried about me. You were awesome back at Poliwrath River!"

I blink, widening my eyes. "Me? Wasn't Mac the cool one back there? I mean, he certainly seemed like it."

Fia smirks. "But was he the one who tackled me away from a Seed Bomb? You can bet your Apples he wasn't!"

Her encouragement leaves me with a sheepish paw at the back of my head. "I… guess that's true. I just… felt like I had to protect you, that's all…" _I really did…_ I pause. "Everyone else also did really well, considering we made it in the nick of time… You even dealt the finishing blow on that Poliwrath."

"You can _bet_ your Apples I did!" The enthusiasm in her voice becomes more evident than ever. "I was awesome too! Did it first try with my new move and everything! Go on, Indigo, tell me how great I am!"

 _So much for being_ _modest…_ "I'll pass."

My answer sparks that playful protest look about her, earning me a soft punch to the arm. "Hey, come on! I complimented you and everything! Admit it, I'm awesome!"

I chuckle. Even if her gesture didn't even hurt at all, leaving me to wonder if she can actually deliver a proper jab, I instinctively reach for my arm. "Alright, alright, I guess you are, too…"

My voice is left to be snatched away by the passing breeze as Fia lets out a relaxed breath of her own. Our eyes go back to searching the stars.

 _It really is peaceful here…_ If anything, I'm just glad Fia and I are on good terms again. It just… feels right, for some reason. At least I finally apologized… wait, no, I have to remember that she apologized first. Even with what I said, those horrible horrible things said, she was the one who felt like she owed me everything. To think that she felt like she owed me just as much as I felt like I owed her…

"Hey, Indigo," Fia suddenly speaks up, bringing us back to facing each other. "You did mean it when you said you'd support my dream, right?"

I pause for a second. _Her dream to join the Expedition Society._ "Well… you do have the spirit. I don't know if it was enough to sway Mac, but… given the odds we faced today, us making it out alive is an achievement of its own, right? I'll just… have to watch your back just in case."

Her grin returns. "I knew I could count on you! That's it! I've decided!"

I slowly cock my head at an angle. "Decided on… what?"

She hops back to her feet and makes her way to the giant tree. Once she does so, she reaches up towards its thick leaves with a vine and starts ruffling them. "Come on… they should be here somewhere… there!" With a quick jerk, she withdraws her vines back into her shoulders and catches two light-looking objects with her hands. "Here it is, Indigo! Catch!"

As she skips back my way, I try to get a closer look at the cloth-looking things in her hands before I realize she's thrown one my way. With a burst of effortless instinct, I hold a paw out to have a greenish cloth of some sort drape over it. I bring it closer to me to try to observe it. There seems to be some sort of striped pattern to it with a series of darker green lines following lines of moderately lighter greens. It's surprisingly soft-feeling in my paws, too. "Is it… just a cloth?"

"Of course not, silly!" I look up from the object of interest to see the other cloth-like object wrapped around Fia's neck. "It's one of the two Harmony Scarves, named by me and everything! Wear it!"

"Er… well, I'll try…" I slowly attempt to look down at my neck, right where I'm wearing my Looplet. Bringing the cloth to both of my paws, I bring them behind my head and try to find where I can tie them. _How… do I tie things again? Hrrgh…_

After a bit of hopeless fumbling trying to get one end of the fabric to intertwine with the other, the scarf is snatched from my paws as I suddenly realize Fia's made her way behind me.

"Here, I'll just do it. I can't wait to see how this looks on you!" I hear her giggle surprisingly close to my ears, almost leaving me with a flustered shudder as she gets to tying. I was fine with hugging, but this- "Okay, done!" She finishes what I assume is a knot and excitedly walks back in front of me.

I quickly glance down, noticing the scarf neatly tied right above my Looplet, draping over it in a little dipping triangle. I suddenly feel the urge to pick one end up and rub it against the side of my face. _It's… wow, it's even softer than I thought it was…_

I suddenly recall Fia's eyes still on me. I quickly compose myself and get up on my feet, facing her. "So uh… how do I look?"

Her look of observation quickly perks up to a smile after I ask. "You know what, that's not too shabby! I could've tied it so it looks more stylish, but what I went with actually works on you!"

I double check on the way my scarf drapes over my Looplet just to make sure she's not messing with me. "I'll… take that as a compliment… I guess?"

She giggles, twirling in place. She stops to face me with a straight-standing pose, nose pointed at an angle towards the skies, giving me a full view of her own scarf. "Now, how do _I_ look?"

I hesitate at first, unsure if I'm the right Pokémon to be asked something like this. I'm not one for coming up with concrete judgements just yet… _But then again, she did ask me, so…_

It's at this point that I realize how differently she put on her scarf compared to mine. While mine was tied so that the front end drapes over my neck, I notice that Fia wore hers so that it's tied like a bow of sorts near her neck. _Flashing it like a flamboyant accessory…_ I smile a faintly amused smile. "It really fits your look."

Her prideful posture drops as she playfully giggles at my remark. "I knew bringing these out now was a good idea! From now on, we're _best_ friends, and nothing's ever gonna bring us apart! Our scarves serve as a good sign of that!"

I pause. _I heard that right, right?_ "You… consider me a best friend already?"

She nods excitedly. "Of course, silly! You're like, the only one who actually supports my dream and actually stood by my side and stuff! Give or take!" _I… guess so. No punches pulled there…_ Probably noticing my unsure look, she steps to my side and jabs my arm. _Never mind._ "Do you consider me a best friend yet?"

 _Do I?_ Considering she's already declared her thoughts on our status, it doesn't really seem like I have much of a choice. Then again, best friends are the friends who are closer than other friends, right? _Now that I think about it… that… actually describes our situation pretty well…_

I face her keenly anticipating stare and try to look as reassuring as I can. _Well… by technicality…_ "I kind of already consider you a best friend, actually…" _As… weird as that sounds…_

The look on her face lights up in such a way that her tail might as well be wagging. "You really do?"

The pure joy of her beaming expression leaves me to respond without thinking of the consequences. "Yes." _She's gonna pounce!_

Before I can decide whether to resist or let it happen, it happens before I can stop the happening from happening. On the other… er… paw, rejecting a hug wouldn't be the kind of thing I'd be immediately upfront about. Even if it means returning the gesture still leaves me feeling awkward with my back against the ground once more. _It's… kind of nice, actually…_

As much as I feel like the type to just let this stuff happen( _If Fia says it's okay, then I guess it's okay…_ ), there's something I notice about Fia this time around. It's one thing to let her head lean against my chest, but now she seems to be… slowly rubbing her head against my fur?

A weary-sounding chuckle escapes my mouth. "You… really like my fur, don't you?"

She lets out a dreamy-sounding sigh. "Yeah… there's just… something about how soft and blue yours is…"

"O-Okay…" I try my best not to sound harsh. "Well… it's just… not that I mind this hug or anything… but, well, wouldn't this look very awkward to anyone passing by?" _I don't know what exactly that'd look like… but my instincts are still telling me that it'd be_ _ **very**_ _awkward…_

Fia must've caught on, because she immediately gets off of me and back to her feet. I do the same, but with a more groggy footing.

With the sudden silence, I'd take the opportunity to sheepishly chuckle and attempt to speak up, but it seems Fia got that idea first. "You still don't mind, right?"

I hesitate for a second before speaking. "Oh, well, it's… okay with me. I just feel like it'd leave some very weird implications because of the hugging and the…" I briefly glance down to check if my scarf is still there, only to realize something. "... wait, we're wearing matching scarves and everything…"

Fia raises an eyebrow. "What about them, Indigo?"

I briefly recall something, the moment of embarrassment making my face heat up. "You remember what Pancham called us back at Poliwrath River, right? Wouldn't us wearing matching scarves just… make it look more like… you know…"

Fortunately, she catches on with a look of her own realization before I can bring myself to finish wording. "O-Oh!" She quickly shakes the expression off in favor of a confident grin. "Well, let them think what they think! All that matters is that the two of us know that these matching scarves symbolize how close we are as best friends! Considering how one of a kind they are, that's a pretty special enough symbol in my book!"

"They're… really that special?" I take another glance at my scarf. _I know it's soft and all, but…_ "Where… did you even get these? The Kecleon Shop?"

"Of course not, silly! They're one of a kind, after all! You can't just _buy_ one of a kind stuff!" She giggles. "Now's a good time to explain why my Pops is a Carracosta and why I'm not! I bet you've been wondering about that for a while, huh?"

 _I've… always found that kind of weird…_ The only thing I can think of that'd be weirder than a Carracosta with a Snivy for a daughter would be… well, a Nuzleaf with a Riolu for a son. _What if…_ "Did he… just… find you in the middle of nowhere and take you in?"

She snickers. "Close. He said one day I just appeared out of nowhere in his Oran Berry fields as a baby Snivy." Her tone shifts as her gaze trails off. "I guess I must've been a really young baby, because I don't remember who left me there or why. But what really matters is that Pops found me wrapped in these two scarves. It took me a long while for me to actually call these scarves Harmony Scarves."

I listen intently, slowly piecing together what this all means. My eyes widen a bit. "Wait… that means we're both… uh… adopted, right?"

"Wait, we are?" She pauses, blinking for a second before she shares my look of realization. "Whoa, we _are!"_ And with it comes another playful jab to my arm. "Look at you all smart and stuff, realizing this before I do!"

"Heh…" I rub my arm, a flattered smile coming to my face. "Well… speaking of Mr. Nuzleaf and your Pops… shouldn't we… you know…"

Her look only widens even more. "Whoa, you're right! Again! My Pops is absolutely going to lose it if I don't come up with a good enough excuse!" She quickly twirls and starts to make her way down the hill at a sudden pace. "You should go home as well! Enjoy your scarf, Indigo!"

As she starts to head out of earshot, a realization suddenly hits me full force. "W-Wait! Fia! Don't I have to give you something in return?"

I quickly turn around to see her glancing back at me, giggling. "Come on, let _me_ be the generous one here! Besides, if you _really_ wanna gimme something, that's what my birthday is for!"

And before I can call out once more, she dashes away. _She's… fast…_ I quickly shake the remark off and recall her parting words. _Her… birthday, huh? Can I… ask someone about that?_

The very thought leaves me with even more incentive to head back to Nuzleaf's place. Which I do.

 **Mac's POV**

 _For my first night in a new area, I've been treated with a surprising level of hospitality. Though I suppose I shouldn't expect anything less from this village's Cafe Connection._

Even if being an Expedition Society member means I'll always have the headquarters to retreat back to, there have been occasions where I'll have to find alternate sources of shelter. Fortunately, every area of civilization I've been to had an area for shelter-less Pokémon to stay a while. Serene Village is no exception.

While this isn't the first asking one of the Kangaskhan owners if spare rooms were available, I'm still pleasantly surprised at how well maintained the rooms here are. Nothing too fancy like an oversized hotel room, but just large enough to avoid the cubicle status. Comes with a single straw bed and a single open window, nothing more, nothing less. Surprisingly neat as well, leaving me to wonder if it's because of frequent cleaning for frequent users or if it's just never been used. Anything in between wouldn't lead to this, I'm certain.

 _I'll have to make my judgements later…_ I sit myself down and set my bag on the ground, taking a second to admire the view outside. _I should really take a picture of this._

I shift my attention back to my bag and take my tablet of an Expedition Gadget out. Its screen boots up, glowing with a light that almost makes me flinch amidst the darkness. Adjusting my glasses a bit, I navigate the menu before my eyes for a second before my mind wanders elsewhere.

 _I have yet to report to the Chief about my current situation… If I recall correctly, I got sidetracked with what else happened today…_

I put a paw to my chin and weigh my options. Considering my mind's already back to recalling the sloshy details of that swamp, I might as well get to talking before all else.

A few more swiping and button presses later, the sound of faint static indicates a call going through. Just need to wait for the Chief to answer the beeping and-

I hear it stop and immediately speak up. "Chief? It's Mac. We've arrived in Serene Village."

"Ah, yes! I've actually been wondering when you were going to alert me," he replies, his lively presence still evident even from an Expedition Gadget's call away. "I trust that everything's gone well?"

"More or less." I try to maintain my tone and push my glasses up. "Crash landing didn't serve Flaps very well this time, not that it ever has. He's down for the count for the time being."

"This is quite the predicament, Mac!" Shocked, but still with a hint of concern. "Have you at least gotten in contact with a medical expert of any kind?"

"I have. Nurse Audino of Serene Village, she's stated that it'll be a few days before Flaps regains consciousness."

"Quite pleasing to hear that the inhabitants are already treating you well. Though, if Flaps can't fly you back, then a new predicament arises. I'll have to check in on you to make sure the worst doesn't dare arise."

Then comes my own shock. I try not to elevate my voice too much. "Chief, are you suggesting that you walk all the way to Serene Village by yourself?"

"Why yes, I am!"

"Chief, in your condition, you might be presenting yourself in even more danger by coming here."

"That is indeed true, Mac. But need not worry, for as clumsy as I am, I'm still your dashing and seasoned Chief!" I can practically see him striking a pose on the other side. "As flattering as it is to hear you voice your concerns towards me, I bear concern towards you and Flaps as well! After all, taking my responsibility as Chief and the very individual who sent you two there, it'd be quite unfortunate if something worse happened to our newest recruits."

I keep my sigh silent. Argue as I must, there's no pushing back against the Chief's authoritatively flamboyant self. "I understand. I take it you'll leave Mawile in charge during your departure."

"Naturally. I've noticed that she seemed to long for the itch of authority, so it seemed like the obvious choice."

I almost smirk at his wording. _More like dominance. You sure you're talking about the right itch?_ "Good call, Chief. The least I can do is hope you stay safe for the time being."

"And I'll hope the same for you. In fact, I don't recall you mentioning what exactly took you so long to report."

I catch on. "Gotcha, Chief." I briefly pause to recall the events once more. "Before I start, there's this Snivy and Riolu I feel you should know about. Trust me, they're a real riot…"


	8. 8: Heated Fear

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 8 - Heated Fear**

 **The next day, Class Area, Indigo's POV**

After another day of waking up to see Fia wanting to walk to school together again, dealing with a rather complicated lesson from Farfetch'd, I sigh as recess finally approaches.

 _Whew… I thought that class would never end… Thank Arceus it's finally recess time…_

I take an Oran Berry out of my bag and eat it, feeling its juices refresh me.

 _That's better…_

I look around me to see everyone looking just as exhausted and tired as I am.

"Is it _really_ hot around here or is it just me?" Fia speaks up.

 _Looks like I'm not the only one…_

"I know, right?" Goomy responds, starting to head towards a nearby tree. "But now that it's finally recess time… I really need to go find some shade before I dry out…"

"Maybe it wouldn't be as hot if you weren't wearing those scarves, you two," Pancham says to me and Fia. "What's with the matching scarves, anyway?"

"It's meant to symbolise our special friendship!" Fia replies, sounding proud. "Right, Indigo!"

"Right," I reply with a smile. "I don't care how hot it gets, I love my scarf!"

"Wow… that's some friendship goals I hope to achieve one day…" I hear Espurr say. "Though… maybe not in the form of a scarf. I'd rather not wear a scarf in this weather right now."

"Is it… normally this hot around Serene Village?" I ask. "Oddly enough… I only ever felt this heat today… what's up with that?"

"I… honestly don't know," Fia responds with a shrug. "But hey, if it has something to do with the sun, then at least it'll help me photosynthesize!"

 _At least she's optimistic about it…_

"At this rate my pink fur's going to turn green…" Deerling says with a sigh. "Is it that time of the year already?"

 _Uh… I don't know what she means by that… and judging from everyone else's confused looks, I assume I'm not the only one._

As we all take out more food and eat it, we notice Mac enter the school area through the entrance archway, appearing tired as he holds some sort of device-looking object.

"Uh… hi everybody…" He says to all of us. "Nice scarves, Indigo and Fia… but… how can you wear scarves in a weather like this?"

"Uh… what are you doing _here_ with a weather like this?" I ask.

"Here to check on my friend of course." He replies, starting to head over to the nurse's hut.

"What's that Bronzor-looking thing you got there?" Fia asks.

"Oh, this?" Mac says, allowing us all to get a better look at it. "It's an Expedition Gadget. Let's me do Expedition Society stuff like exploration requests and all that. I'm going to do that after checking on Flaps."

"Ooh, Expedition Society stuff?" Fia asks, her tone picking up with excitement. "I wanna come… but we still have classes!"

"Oh well," Mac says with a dismissive shrug. "I'll just continue doing my own thing. See you all later, I guess."

The rest of us start to mind our own businesses and continue eating, with Goomy still hiding alone by the tree shade.

 **About an hour later**

"And that concludes our lesson on Monster Houses and Traps!" Watchog says to us, erasing the chalk diagram on the board. "Hopefully you don't find one of these and perish! You are dismissed and can go hom-"

"Actually, I have an announcement!" Simipour says, entering the class area. "Today is actually your last day of school! That means it's summer vacation for you all!"

"Wait… already?!" Fia and I yell in unison as everyone else lets out cheers.

"Well, yeah," Pancham says to us as if it were obvious. "Even if you didn't join school at the same time, the fact still stands that you both joined late."

"Oh… but… Principal Simipour?" I ask, raising a paw. "I have a question."

"Yes, Indigo?"

"Aren't we supposed to have a final test or something like that?" I ask.

"Oh, I'm afraid a final test or something like that isn't necessary," Simipour replies. "If you truly wanted your mettle tested, then you'd have to go explore some mystery dungeons yourselves! Off you go now!"

 _Uh… okay then…_

We all then head out of the school area and end up in Serene Village's plaza.

"Finally! Now I can go tell Pops about this so he can finally give me a map for exploring!" Fia says.

"Thank Arceus we have much more free time on our hands." Shelmet says.

"I can't wait to tell my parents about this!" Deerling says excitedly. "I've been waiting for my fur to change colour! Now that it's summer, it can finally turn green!"

"I'm just glad I don't have to worry about waking up early anymore…" Goomy says.

"Uh… I don't really have anything to do _at all_ since school is over…" Espurr says.

"Then again… now that I think about it… so do I…" I say.

"Well, maybe you can just come exploring with me, Indigo!" Fia says, grabbing my paw and dragging me back towards our houses.

"Uh… actually… if you don't mind, I'd need permission from Nuzleaf first," I say, managing to get Fia to let go of my paw. "Never know when he'll need me to do an errand for him or something like that, you know?"

"Oh, right, good idea!" She says. "I'll go ask my Pops if I can go exploring, too!"

She then runs off to the door of her Carracosta-shaped house while I go head over to the Nuzleaf-shaped one.

I then open the door to see Nuzleaf packing some supplies from his box of his into a bag,

"Oh. Hey Indigo," Nuzleaf says, turning to face me as he closes his box. "I reckon school's been treating you well?"

"Really good, actually," I say. "Summer vacation's started, so no more classes."

"So I heard."

"Anyway, I just need your permission for something," I continue. "You see, since we still have a lot of time left in the day, Fia wants me to go exploring with her…"

"Oh? You just got back and you already want to leave?" Nuzleaf says. He then flashes a small grin at me. "Well, I oughta understand how that feels. Quite the adventurer, huh? That or you really like spending time with Fia… Either way, don't you worry, you have my permission. On… one condition."

"Uh… what condition?" I ask.

"You get back here as early as you can," He says. "Since your schedule's been freed up, I reckon me and you go somewhere tomorrow. That's what I've been packing up supplies for. Plus I think it's about time we spent some quality time together. So, do we have a deal?"

"Deal. I'll try my best," I say, starting to head out the door. "Thanks Nuzleaf!"

"Just try not to push yourself too much, alright?" I hear Nuzleaf call out to me. "It is mighty hot outside, after all…"

"I'll keep that in mind!" I call back.

I then head out the door to be greeted by Fia, still wearing that excited expression of hers.

"So? Did you get permission?" She asks.

"Yep," I reply. "Though I gotta make sure I try to get back as early as possible."

"Good, good!" She says, her tone picking up with excitement once more.

"So, did you get the map?" I ask.

"Here, you take it," She says, handing the map to me with a vine. "Sure while I have my own personal map now, I'd rather entrust it with you for now."

"Okay then…" I reply, putting the map into my bag. "So, where do you suggest we go?"

"Uh… I don't know…" Fia replies. "How about you pick?"

"Well… uh…" I quickly take my map out and scan for areas close to Serene Village. "There's this place called Cave of Training. If it has 'training' in the name, then it shouldn't be too overwhelmingly difficult for us."

"Plus, it's a cave! Grass types like me do great against a lot of Pokémon that live in caves!" Fia responds. "This should be easy with the majority of cave Pokémon being Rock or Ground types!"

 **Several minutes later, Cave of Training, Fia's POV**

 _WHY IS THERE SO FEW ROCK TYPES HERE I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE EASY_

I quickly jump out of the way of a Deino's Dragon Rage and retaliate with a Twister projectile. My attack sends it reeling, but it then gets launched into the wall by a Focus Blast, knocking it out.

"Oh… done with your opponent already?" I ask. "Thank Arceus for that… there just isn't any Pokémon I can unleash super effective Grass attacks on!"

"Well, I did just get back from fighting a Tirtouga, so you-"

"No," I cut Indigo off, taking a serious tone. "I do _not_ fight Tirtouga."

"Uh… okay then," Indigo says, adjusting his bag strap as he faces the hallway out of this room. He then tosses an Oran Berry my way. "Hopefully the next room in the hallway ahead won't be as much trouble…"

I catch the Oran Berry with a vine and eat it, starting to feel rejuvenated.

"Well, no use standing around waiting!" I say, the Oran Berry's rejuvenation effect perking me up. "Let's go!"

I grab Indigo's paw and run off with him into the next hallway, only for me to trip and cause us both to stumble down some sort of slanted rocky formation.

We both end up landing on the ground of some sort of large open rocky room.

"Well… this seems familiar…." Indigo comments, getting up.

"Uh…" I get up as well, looking at the empty space ahead. "I can see what you mean by that… do we have to fight some big threatening Pokémon here, too?"

Then, as if on cue, a large winged figure swoops around the area and lands in front of us.

 _Uh… oh…_

The Skarmory slowly steps out towards us, revealing itself and letting out a loud ear-piercing cry.

"Oh… no…" I say, slowly backing away. "That's a… big Skarmory…"

"You can say that again…" Indigo replies, sounding just as afraid as I am.

"That's a-"

"Okay, I get it!" Indigo cuts me off. "Now we better focus on not letting that Skarmory mince us up!"

We both then face ahead to hear the Skarmory let out another ear-piercing cry, and it swoops at us beak-first.

The two of us jump out of the way to opposite sides, and I quickly shoot a Twister at the Skarmory. However, the Skarmory quickly swoops out of the way of my Twister attack and I find a Focus Blast heading my way.

 _Wait wha-_

I end up getting hit straight in the face by the Focus Blast and reeling against the ground painfully.

 **Indigo's POV**

 _Ow… that Twister hurt…_

I quickly get up and eat an Oran Berry to see Fia getting up as well, with a slight bruise on her face.

 _Oh… so that's where that Focus Blast went…_

"Fia, catch!" I ask. I then toss an Oran Berry her direction.

However, before Fia could catch it, the Skarmory swoops in and takes in its beak, eating it.

"Oh, come on!" Fia yells.

"We really need to do something about that Skarmory…" I say.

"But it's too fast! It managed to dodge both of our attacks and steal an Oran Berry!" Fia responds.

We then hear the Skarmory let out _another_ cry as it shoots sharp Air Cutter projectiles at us. I quickly use my Fighting type reflexes as well as my Quick Attack speed to dodge them all as Fia ducks for cover behind a rock.

 _Okay, now to quickly get an Oran Berry since Fia still needs one-_

"Indigo, catch!" I quickly snap out of my thoughts to see the multicoloured orb of an Alliance Attack coming my way. I manage to catch it and hold it in my paws.

"Wait, what?" I ask, confused. I then notice Fia jump up over the rock and start running straight towards the speeding Skarmory heading towards her. "Wait, Fia, what are you doing?!"

"Hold my Leaf Tornado Alliance Attack for now!" She replies, still running. "I have an idea!"

 _She's running straight towards the Skarmory! What kind of idea is that?!_

Carefully making sure not to drop the Alliance Attack orb, I quickly run off after Fia.

 _Come on… I think I can catch up to her before the Skarmory does-_

I then find myself slowing down to a complete halt when Fia is sent soaring all the way to the other side of the room by Skarmory's speeding Peck attack.

 _Oh no…_

I then realize that the Skarmory is now heading towards me. I brace myself, readying a Counter…

… only for the Skarmory to fall to the ground right in front of me, still.

 _Wait… what?_ I think, canceling the Counter.

I then notice the several paralysis jolts run through the Skarmory's body.

 _Wait… Fia must've used Glare on it before she got launched… Now's my chance!_

I then absorb the energy from the Leaf Tornado Alliance Attack orb into my paw and use it to ready a Force Palm. As I unleash it on the vulnerable Skarmory, the energy released from my paw sends the Skarmory soaring all the way to the other side of the room, fainted.

I sigh with relief.

 _Hopefully Fia's okay…_

I quickly run over to see other lying on the ground, unconscious.

 _Well… at least she's not dead… I guess now's the time to finally use one of those Tiny Reviver Seeds I've been finding… At least, that's what I assume they're for…_

I quickly rummage through my bag to find one, but I stop myself when I suddenly notice the black dangles on the sides of my head start to rise, and I sense something.

 _Wait a second… why do I sense an incoming threat-_

 _WAIT WHEN DID ALL THESE VOLTORB GET HERE?!_

I start to panic when I see all the hostile Voltorb suddenly appear in the room, glowing as they're all about to use Self-Destruct.

 _Abort, abort! Change of plans, I need an Escape Orb!_

 _Come on, I better still have some from Drilbur Coal Mine!_

I then find an Escape Orb right in the nick of time.

 _Okay, now to get out of here before all these Voltorb blow!_

Hastily, I pick Fia up with an arm and drop the Escape Orb with the other, teleporting the two of us out.

 **Serene Village's Plaza, Author's POV**

With a bright light teleporting him into the area, Indigo looks around me to see the grassy plaza area, the moon shining above the area indicating nighttime.

' _Whew… that was a close call.'_ He thinks, sighing in relief.

Indigo then looks down to see that he's still holding Fia in his arms, the Snivy still unconscious.

' _Oh… she's surprisingly light… either that or being a Fighting type makes everything lighter…'_

' _Better get to feeding her a Tiny Reviver Seed…'_

Being very careful not to drop the Snivy with an arm, Indigo quickly uses his other arm to fish said Seed out of his bag and feed it to Fia.

The Snivy opens her eyes to see Indigo still carrying her in his arms.

"Oh… uh… where are we?" She asks.

"Serene Village," He replies. "And it's nighttime."

"Oh… well… why are you carrying me in your arms?"

"Uh… because… um…" Indigo hesitates. "I… forgot."

"O… kay then…" Fia replies, cautiously getting off of Indigo's arms and onto the ground.

' _Geez…'_ Indigo thinks as he starts to sweat. ' _Either it suddenly got really hot around here or I'm nervous…'_

"Wait a second…" Indigo says as he realizes something. "I'm not the only one who feels how hot it is around here… right? I don't think it should be this hot when the moon is out…"

"Oh… oh no… I feel it too… It's even worse now that I can't feel the sun to rejuvenate me…" Fia says, suddenly feeling dazed. "Why is it so hot?! And why does Serene Village feel… eerie all of a sudden?!"

"That's because everyone else is staying indoors to hide from the heat," Pancham says to them, as the school's students approach them. "Normally they'd be roaming around here, but most of them are hiding in their houses and getting drinks from Kangaskhan to cool themselves."

"Wait… what are you guys all doing here?" Indigo asks.

"We all decided to try to find out what's the meaning with all this heat," Deerling responds. "Summer is not supposed to be this hot. It's not natural! Even when it's nighttime, Goomy here is still suffering from drying out and relies on Espurr's telekinesis to move around!"

A rather flattened out Goomy then slowly approaches Indigo and Fia via being levitated, looking up at them with pleading eyes.

"H-Help me…"

"Oh… here, have this." Indigo says, taking out an Oran Berry and letting the little Dragon type swallow it.

"So… you haven't gone home to your parents or anything?" Fia asks Deerling. "Not even at this time?"

"No! Espurr and I decided that we would not rest until we fix Goomy's problem!" The Grass Normal type responds with a defiant tone. "Oh. And Pancham and Shelmet decided to join us for some reason, I guess. As for Goomy, even though we tried our best to convince him to hide back home away from the heat, he still _insisted_ on coming."

"Well, have you figured out anything so far?" Indigo asks.

"Other than Mac frantically running around Serene Village searching for 'someone', and I believe he is still searching as we speak, nothing else interesting or noteworthy has happened," Espurr replies. "There was everyone else in the village retreating to hide from the heat in their homes, but we can't really get much information from that…"

"I'm starting to think it has something to do with that Ancient Barrow place…" Shelmet speaks up.

"Oh… oh no…" Fia says, fear striking her as she holds onto Indigo's paw in fear.

"Uh… what's with the sudden fear?" Indigo asks, concerned. "Is there something about this Ancient Barrow place I should know about?"

"Oh, right, you're new here," Pancham responds. "Well, it's that one blocked off place that looks like a broken off tree with a hole in front of it, except this hole entrance has been blocked off. It's one of the first things you'll notice once you enter the village, but because it's _inside_ the village is what makes it so dangerous."

"And… what's in this blocked off tree that I assume is Ancient Barrow?" Indigo asks, Fia still cowering behind him.

"A mystery dungeon," Shelmet answers nonchalantly. "Notorious for being filled with Ghost types."

"That's… it?" Indigo asks, raising an eyebrow.

"For the most part, yes," Shelmet responds. "It's also blocked off so that careless kids don't find themselves wandering into a dangerous mystery dungeon."

"Then… Fia… why are you so scared?" Indigo asks the cowering Snivy behind him. "You're not afraid of Ghost types… are you?"

"I… I am afraid…" The Snivy responds in an embarrassed tone. "It's a superstition type of fear, okay?!"

"Oh… well… don't worry about it," Indigo says, trying to get her to stop cowering. "Even if we come across a Ghost type, I can always defend you even if…" Realization then strikes Riolu, leaving him in a surprised state. "I… have nothing to hit Ghost types with… oh no…"

"Well, at least your fear is _somewhat_ rational," Shelmet responds. "At least you don't have a fear of those cutesy Fairy types. I mean, who could ever be afraid of those Fairy Winding showoffs?"

Goomy shudders.

"I still get nightmares of flocks of Spritzee chasing me…" He mutters in a weak tone, causing Espurr to start comforting him.

"So, I have come up with a plan!" Deerling speaks up, perking up her leaderly tone. "We are going to investigate Ancient Barrow!"

"W-What?!" Fia yells. "Why?!"

"Uh… no one said you _had_ to come…" Deerling responds. "So… if you'd like, you don't have to come…"

"Well… you know what, fine!" Fia says, managing to stand up confidently. "I'm going to try to prove that I can't let Ghost types ruin me forever! I want to get over my fear!"

The Grass type's sudden outburst of confidence causes a moment of awkward silence to ensue as everyone else appears surprised. That is, everyone except for Indigo.

' _That's Fia for you,'_ He thinks with a proud grin. ' _If there's anything she's obsessed with, it's proving herself.'_

"So… why are we heading to Ancient Barrow again?" Pancham asks.

"Because it's the only place in the village we haven't looked!" Deerling replies, still trying to maintain her leaderly tone. "If we haven't had any leads anywhere else, then the source of the heat must be from there!"

"Excuse me for questioning, but what logic are you applying here by blaming the heat on Ancient Barrow?" Espurr cuts in.

"If you can't find a logical reason for something, blame it on ghosts!" Deerling replies, still headstrong. "Now, let's go everyone! This heat mystery won't solve itself!"

Deerling and everyone then start to head off past the plaza's entrance archway towards the direction of Ancient Barrow, that is, everyone except Indigo and Fia.

"Come on, Indigo!" Fia says, tugging on his paw. "Let's go!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Indigo protests, trying to stop himself from getting dragged. "While I do appreciate your sudden enthusiasm to overcome your fear of Ghost types, I told Nuzleaf I'd try to come back as early as I can, remember? I think it'd be best for the two of us to head back…"

"But… Indigo… this time I'm actually feeling ready to take on Ghost types…" The Snivy responds with a slightly disappointed tone. "And… that's because I remembered you're with me. I feel like I can take anything on when you're with me… so… please? I want to be able to take this chance, Indigo… and I don't think I'd be able to do it without you…"

 **Indigo's POV**

 _Oh… come on… I can't say no to that face, right?_

 _But… Nuzleaf… I told him I'd come home early…_

 _But this might be Fia's only chance to overcome her fear… and I'd want to help her with that…_

 _Well… she is my friend after all…_

 _And if it weren't for her 'idea' then I wouldn't have been able to finish off that Skarmory…_

"... Okay, I'll go…" I say with a sigh.

"Yay!" She replies excitedly, grabbing my paw. "Let's go, Indigo! We might be left behind!"

As she drags me past the plaza's entrance archway and over a wooden bridge, I suddenly realize how tight she's holding my paw compared to before.

 _Is it because she's… afraid? And she's trying to hide it?_

 _From… what I can tell, this excited demeanor is just going to shift back to fear once the Ghost types start coming… but I guess that's what I'm there for…_

 _She did believe she can do this whole 'overcoming' thing because of me after all…_

 _But… how am I going to even harm those Ghost types should the need arise?_

I sigh.

 _I'll… I'll find a way… somehow…_


	9. 9: Stressful Lights

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 9 - Stressful Lights**

 **Outside Ancient Barrow, Author's POV**

Pancham, Shelmet, Deerling, Espurr, Goomy, Indigo, and Fia all stand by the broken off grey stump that is the entrance to the Ancient Barrow, the large tree stump blocked off by boards of wood at the hole at its center.

"Here we are, everyone!" Deerling says. "Ancient Barrow! The reason for all this heat lies in there!"

"Are you _really_ sure about this, Deerling?" Espurr asks, still assisting in moving Goomy as she levitates him closer to the group. "Your reasoning for this was far from logical, after all…"

"Well, Indigo and Fia, you went out exploring, right?" Deerling asks, turning to face the two. "Was it as hot there as it is in the village?"

"Actually… now that you mention it… no, it wasn't nearly as hot as it is here," Indigo answers. "The Cave of Training was surprisingly cool and roomy compared to the village."

"I knew it!" Deerling says in triumph, turning to face Espurr with a proud grin. "See? Only Serene Village is being affected by this heat, plus we've already explored the entire village to find no leads. That is, we've went everywhere except _here!_ So this must be the place!"

"Well… how are we going to get in?" Goomy asks.

"Goomy, the only things in our way are literally _planks of wood,"_ Deerling replies, immediately kicking down the planks of wood with a Double Kick. "Sure, they were 'keep out' and 'don't ever come here or you'll die probably' signs, but the security of this place isn't very good. So now that I've kicked down these planks of wood, let's go!"

The seven of them then all head down the staircase in the large holed tree stump and find themselves in some large cave room.

"S-Should we really be here?" Goomy asks, shuddering. "It… feels eerie here… and it feels even hotter here than it is outside…"

"That means this must be the place!" Deerling responds. "I'm betting that the cause of this heat is going to be at the very bottom of this place!"

"D-Do we have to?" Fia speaks up, her excited tone immediately shrinking into fear as she hides behind Indigo, clutching his paw.

"You bet-"

Deerling is then interrupted when a Shadow Ball hits her straight on, but she shrugs it off like it's nothing.

"Oh… oh no…" A figure says in the distance with a rather high-pitched voice, disappearing into the shadows.

"Hey, that was rude!" Deerling yells. "Come out and show yourself!"

"Hee hee! So you want to get to the bottom of this heat problem, don'tcha!" The figure's voice calls out, sounding somewhat female amidst its high-pitched tone. "Well, come and get me!"

The group of students then all look around themselves cautiously for the figure. Espurr then manages to catch a figure out of the corner of her eye, dashing towards a staircase.

"Over there, everyone!" She exclaims, running towards the stairs as everyone else follows her.

They then head down to find themselves in another large room, the figure still vaguely seen running away in the distance.

"Come on, everyone!" Deerling rallies. "We might be able to catch up to the figure if we keep it up at this rate-"

"Eek!" The figure cries out, realizing the situation.

The figure's cry then causes two Honedge and two Golett to appear from the shadows, surrounding the group.

"Ha! Try and get me now!" The figure calls out to the group of students, this time fleeing out of sight.

"Uh… oh…" Fia mutters.

"Okay… this might be an inconvenience, but we can still do this!" Deerling continues rallying. "We're seven against four, after all!"

Everyone then gets into their battle stances, that is, everyone except Indigo and Fia.

 **Indigo's POV**

"Fia… come on… we need to fight…" I say, gently nudging her so that she stops hiding behind me.

"But… they're Ghost types…" She replies.

"Please… I thought you said-"

I'm then interrupted when a Honedge swings its sheath at me, and I find myself reeling towards the wall once I get hit by the wooden object.

 _That's… weird… why would a Honedge hit me with its sheath and not its bla-_

I'm then interrupted when the Honedge swings at me with its blade, and I barely dodge it by ducking before it could make contact with my neck. I instinctively react by using Quick Attack to charge at the Honedge, but I end up passing through it.

 _I just HAD to forget…_

I then find myself getting pinned down by the Honedge forcefully pushing me against the ground with its sheath, pointing its blade directly at my chest.

I almost bring myself to close my eyes and wince, but I then feel the sheath being blown away when a Leaf Tornado sends the Honedge flying. Fia grabs my paw, helping me up.

"Oh… Fia… thanks for the sa-"

"Come on, Indigo! Don't scare me like that!" She cuts me off, sounding slightly frustrated. "You should've handled that Honedge easy peasy!"

"I was going to get impaled through the chest!" I yell back. Realizing this, I immediately calm myself down. "Ahem… what could I have done? I didn't even have anything to hit the Honedge with-"

"You had Wands to hit with and all that stuff!" She responds. "You know, Sleep, Slumber, all those Wands!"

"I don't see how status dealing Wands are going to help me here-"

"Sleep Wands, Slumber Wands, Warp Wands, Honedge-Destroying Wands, what's the difference?" She cuts me off. "Just… don't scare me like that again, okay?"

"Well… okay…" I respond.

As I start to think about Fia's last phrase, I suddenly realize something.

 _Wait a second… what if I tried using Wands as direct weapons rather than for shooting status-inducing projectiles?_

 _Actually… wait… that probably isn't a good idea, I'd get myself hurt, and I'd scare Fia again…_

I then realize something else.

 _Did Fia getting scared over me… somehow bypass her being scared of Ghost types?_

My thoughts then get interrupted when I see another Honedge heading my way with its blade.

"Heads up!" I hear Pancham yell.

Before I could think about why Pancham yelled such a phrase, the Honedge gets knocked out when Shelmet, helmet closed, rams into him.

"Good throw, Pancham!" Shelmet says, opening his helmet. "I think that was one of your best Flings so far!"

"Oh… thanks for the save," I say as Pancham approaches. "I don't think I'd like getting impaled through the chest… I'd hate for something like that to happen to me again…"

"No problem," Pancham says, picking up Shelmet once again as his helmet closes again. "Now come on, lovebirds, less talking, more fighting! Goomy, Espurr, and Deerling are still fighting off those two Golett!"

"Yeah, for Deerling!" I hear Shelmet say, muffled beneath his helmet.

 _Did Pancham really have to pull the 'lovebirds' card again…_

I then look to Fia to see that she appears troubled, as if deep in thought about something.

 _Is it because of the realization that we're still fighting Ghosts, or…_

I walk up to her and grab her hand, earning me a surprised look from her. I smile, trying to make her feel better.

"Let's go, Fia."

I start to feel something warm build up inside me as she smiles back.

"Right." She says, her confident tone returning once again.

 **A few minutes later, Fia's POV**

I sigh with exhaustion as the last Golett falls over.

"Okay… that was rough…" Deerling says. "But at least we got this room done with…"

"Rough? Please, my Flinging skills got those Golett absolutely wrecked!" Pancham exclaims, taking a proud pose. "So wrecked that you couldn't put them back together to build a robot or anything like that!"

"That's oddly specific… but how about we get some Emeras first before pressing onward?" Espurr suggests, motioning to the several lying around the room.

"That'd be a good idea," Indigo replies. He then starts to rummage around his bag, taking out several Oran Berries. "Anyone want some? It's still… really hot in here…"

We all nod and accept the Berries. I bite into mine and feel myself starting to calm down at the Berry's refreshing taste.

After finishing the Berry off and attaching a dark blue Emera as well as a purple Emera to my Looplet, I follow everyone else down the stairs to end up in some sort of long cave hallway.

I shudder. I don't know how to describe it, but the atmosphere around this cave area seems much different from any other cave mystery dungeon like the Cave of Training. It's as if I can _feel_ the ghostly auras around here creeping up on me… ready to strike… It's like I'm just going to feel the life force getting sucked out of me any second now-

"Fia?"

I let out a surprised scream and jump, only to realize that it's just Indigo.

"Oh… it's just you…" I say, sighing in relief.

"Sorry about that…" Indigo replies, putting a paw to the back of his head as he slowly starts to look downwards. "You… uh… alright? You looked scared again…"

"That's… because I was scared…" I reply. I then start to slowly shake my head. "Sorry… I just feel like this place is starting to get to me…"

I then look back at Indigo when I suddenly feel him holding my hand.

"Don't worry about it, alright?" He says, facing me with a smile. "At least do it for me like how I came here for you."

I manage a smile and grip his paw tightly.

 _I've already lost count how many times he's been this supportive towards me…_

"Heh… lovebirds…" I snap out of my thoughts to hear Pancham's comment.

"Hey, come on, stop it with the teasing!" I yell.

"Please, don't bother! The signs are all there!" He continues with that smirk of his. "The matching scarves, the holding hands, heck, I even saw Indigo holding you in his arms!"

 _Oh… right…_

"To be fair, all that stuff is a series of misunderstandings," Indigo speaks up, sounding defensive. "The scarves are merely meant to symbolise our friendship more than anything else, Fia's just the type of Pokémon who likes holding hands… and… uh… fur… and that third point is just because Fia fainted so I needed to feed her a Tiny Reviver Seed _while_ somehow carrying her!"

"Y-Yeah!" I add in an attempt to back Indigo up.

"Yeah Pancham, enough, alright?" Deerling says to him in a harsh tone. She then turns to face me and Indigo. "Just… don't mind him, okay? He's just jealous."

 _Jealous… of what exactly?_

"Well, I guess that other worry got settled with quickly," Indigo says to me in a whisper. "But even then, it's like I said, 'lovebirds' or not, I don't mind… but… I'm starting to wonder… do _you_ mind?"

Indigo's question hits me so hard that I find myself at a loss for words.

 _Do I… really mind? Have I… really been acting like that?_

"Staircase up ahead!" I snap out of my thoughts once I hear Espurr call out from ahead. "Right at the end of this hallway!"

"Finally…" I hear Goomy say as Espurr continues levitating him beside her. "The heat and eeriness of this place is starting to get too much for me…"

"There goes that question…" Indigo says with a sigh. "Let's get going. We don't want to get left behind, now do we?"

"Oh, r-right…" I manage to say.

 **Author's POV**

The group of seven then find themselves in _another_ large open room, this time ending up in a room that bears a more circular structure.

"Okay… this _must_ be the place right?" Deerling says aloud as the group walks toward the center, looking around. "This room is a dead end… and it's crazy hot… but… it's empty…"

"That figure from before must be here," Espurr responds. "Probably hiding in the shadows or some Ghost type trick like that…"

Then, as if on cue, the room suddenly becomes engulfed in pitch black darkness.

"What's going on?!" Goomy yells.

"P-Please stop this!" Fia exclaims, clinging to Indigo.

"Hee hee!" A high pitched giggle echoes around the area. "So you've finally come to resolve this heat issue?"

Several large floating bluish flames resembling Will-O-Wisp fireballs circle around the group. The figure's echoing giggles start to get even louder.

"You'll regret coming here! Hee hee!" The figure yells.

"I… I can hear the figure, but where is it?!" Indigo yells.

The students all look around panickedly, only for a large black spike to come down from above and smash into the ground, the impact sending everyone off to different sides of the room.

"Hee hee!" Chandelure giggles as she absorbs the Will-O-Wisp flames, the flames on her arms and head glowing bright white with a ghostly aura as her bright yellow eyes pierce through the darkness. "Come and get me if you can!"

Pancham and Shelmet end up being the first to get up. They glare at the giggling Chandelure, furious.

"Why you…" Pancham yells through gritted teeth, picking up Shelmet.

Chandelure then notices the Bug type being flung her way and intensify her arm flames to become blowtorch-like. The flames then catch Shelmet, somewhat magnetically, and intensify to blast him into the air before Chandelure hurls him away by using Shadow Ball. She then notices Pancham charging her way with a Shadow Claw at the ready, but disappears right before he could hit her.

"Now… where are you?" Pancham says, cautiously looking around.

"And then you turned around."

Pancham instinctively turns around to see Chandelure giggling at him in a maniacal manner, surrounding him with large Will-O-Wisp flames.

"Flames! Flames everywhere!" Chandelure chants excitedly.

The Ghost Fire type then burns Pancham using the Will-O Wisp flames and uses the flame on her head to cough up a smoky Smog cloud, blinding Pancham, then rushes at him by spinning her arms forward and then swinging them ahead, managing to launch Pancham all the way to the other side of the room.

"Urgh… how… is this Chandelure so good at fighting…" Pancham groans, right before losing consciousness.

"I have my ways of training." Chandelure replies all the way from the other side of the room, winking.

Chandelure then finds herself being levitated mid-speech via Espurr's Confusion beam, while Deerling and Goomy prepare an Energy Ball and Dragon Breath respectively. Chandelure merely makes a mischievous grin as she creates a large Smog cloud around herself.

"I… I can't levitate her! That Smog cloud made me lose track of the Chandelure!" Espurr yells.

"W-What do we do?!" Goomy yells.

"Just… keep firing your attacks!" Deerling responds, continuing to charge her Energy Ball.

As Espurr, Deerling, and Goomy continue charging up their Psybeam, Energy Ball, and Dragon Breath attacks respectively, Chandelure braces herself behind her Smog cloud. Right as she hears the three attacks coming her way, she shrinks herself using Minimize and gracefully spins around the projectiles coming her way.

"Did… we get her?" Goomy asks.

The smoke clears, and Chandelure grows back to her normal size, pointing her head flame towards the three and charging up an attack.

"You would've had more luck hitting me if you used an Alliance Attack!" Chandelure says tauntingly.

She then unleashes a giant flaming laser attack from her head flame that engulfs Deerling, Espurr, and Goomy, the impact launching the latter two against the wall and into the air.

"Time to go overkill!" Chandelure says, focusing on the two mid-air Pokémon.

She then uses Hex to grab Goomy and Espurr using a ghastly force, which then sucker punches the two helpless Pokémon using several blasts of energy.

"And they're down!" Chandelure says proudly as Espurr and Goomy fall to the ground. "Now… there should just be two more…"

Meanwhile, Indigo and Fia hide in a corner, trying their best to hide from sight.

"Okay… Fia… stay here…" Indigo says, carefully holding an Alliance Attack orb of Fia's Leaf Tornado. "I'll try to handle this."

The Snivy nods nervously in response, and Indigo readies a Petrify Wand with his other free arm as he runs towards Chandelure.

"There you are!" Chandelure exclaims, starting to ready an attack his direction.

Indigo quickly reacts by waving the Petrify Wand while Chandelure simultaneously fires a Will-O-Wisp fireball. The two projectiles collide, kicking up a cloud of smoke.

With Chandelure concealed by the giant smoke cloud dividing the two of them, the Riolu quickly braces himself, readying to fuse the Leaf Tornado Alliance Attack orb with his paw.

He quickly looks up just in time to see a Flame Burst fireball arching over the smoke cloud and heading his way.

Indigo quickly tosses the Leaf Tornado Alliance Attack orb into the air and uses Quick Attack to dodge the Flame Burst, managing to catch the Leaf Tornado Alliance Attack right as the fireball explodes on the ground and ignites it.

"Come on…" Indigo says in shock. "Does this Chandelure know more than four moves or something?!"

The smoke cloud clears to reveal Chandelure, excitedly giggling once again.

"I have my ways of knowing," She says. "But… your priority is going to be a big problem for me… which should make this all the more fun!"

Indigo wastes no time fusing the Alliance Attack with his paw and readying an attack as he rushes at Chandelure with Quick Attack speed.

' _This should work…'_ Indigo thinks. ' _From what I remember Watchog saying, Alliance Attacks bypass immunities and resistances, right?'_

"Getting feisty, are we?" Chandelure remarks with a smirk, starting to glow with a bright burning red. "Well, I have another nasty surprise too!"

Right as Indigo lunges at Chandelure with his Alliance Attack-fused Force Palm right as Chandelure unleashes a wide ring-shaped wave of flames around her in the form of Overheat.

Meanwhile, Fia continues watching the fight from one corner of the room, shuddering as she silently roots for Indigo. She then gasps in shock when Chandelure's Overheat sends Indigo reeling towards him, the Riolu badly burned.

"Fia… get me… a Tiny Reviver Seed…" Indigo groans right before losing consciousness.

The Snivy quickly reacts by getting a vine ready, only to see that Indigo's bag is on fire.

"It's… on fire!" She yells in panic, rapidly flailing her vines onto the flames in an attempt to put the bag out.

However, right as Fia carefully drags out what items she can retrieve from Indigo's bag with her vines, Chandelure approaches her, having already shook off the downsides of her previous Overheat and disappears.

"Well now, _there_ you are!" Chandelure says.

"Wait… where are you?!" Fia yells, looking around in panic.

"I'm over here!" Fia looks up to the sound of Chandelure's taunting voice to see a black spike descend and slam onto the ground, sending the Snivy into the air.

Right as Fia starts to fall to the ground, Chandelure starts waving her arms in a hypnotic fashion. The Ghost Fire type's hypnotic waving emits a ghastly spiraling fire that grabs Fia, burning her as a ring of fire surrounds her.

Chandelure then starts to ready the flames on her arms as they glow a bright burning white.

"It's time for the light that is your life… to face it's _final flicker!"_

The Snivy manages to open her eyes at the last second, only to close them once again when she feels a severe burning pain come to her, burning pain that seems to attack her body as well as her soul.

"Hee hee!" Chandelure giggles at the badly burnt Snivy. "Looks like that's over with!"

However, unbeknownst to Chandelure, Fia stirs slightly, then gets up.

"I'm… I'm alive…" Fia mutters weakly. Realization then hits her, and her eyes widen in surprise. "I'm… I'm alive?! And… conscious?!"

She then notices the broken shards of a dark blue Emera on the ground next to her.

"Was it… because of that Emera?" Fia says aloud. "If only I knew what it was… urgh… if only I actually paid attention during that one class…"

"Wait… you're still conscious?!" Chandelure exclaims, turning to face Fia. "Urgh… get back here!"

Chandelure then rushes at Fia and attempts to slam her arms down on her, but Fia easily sidesteps away from it with an agility that surprises _both_ Fia and Chandelure.

"Did I do that?" Fia asks.

Frustrated, Chandelure then attempts to jab Fia with her arm flames, only for the Snivy to duck and dodge away.

"Urgh… stop being so quick!" Chandelure yells, firing a row of Will-O-Wisp fireballs at the Snivy.

Fia easily jumps over the fireballs and stretches a vine over to Indigo to grab an Oran Berry lying beside him and eats it.

"Okay, that's it!" Chandelure yells, intensifying her flames to become blowtorch-like once again.

The Ghost Fire type then starts to hover at Fia, getting ready to swing her flames at her, but the Snivy merely stands in place and takes a deep breath, focusing.

"I… I can do this…" Fia mutters, glancing over at Indigo's fainted figure. "I… can do this."

"Take this, you-" Chandelure yells, only to fall over onto the ground, paralyzed. "Urgh… what?"

"Ha ha!" Fia cries out in triumph. "I did it! I looked a Ghost type in the eyes and survived!"

"Well that certainly isn't something you see everyday," Fia quickly turns around to see Mac entering the room, smiling. "And I thought surviving using the Toughness Emera and dodging using the Clutch Performer Emera was impressive, but pulling the Glare gamble? You deserve some claps."

"Wait… Mac? You were… watching?" Fia asks.

"Only for a bit…" He replies.

"And… what're you even doing here?"

"Oh, that," Mac responds. "Well, before I get to that, how about we get to reviving your friends here, hmm? This Chandelure really went to town on them, after all…"

"Oh… right…"

 **A few minutes later, Indigo's POV**

 _Ugh… what… happened?_

I get up and look around me only to feel a familiar burning pain come back to me.

 _Oh. Now I remember. Stupid Overheat._

"Ow…" I groan, feeling the burning pain come back to me.

I then find myself being helped up by Fia.

"You're awake!" She says, an excited tone in her voice. "You should've seen me, Indigo! I handled the Chandelure!"

"Wait a second…" I say, realizing something. "Where's my bag?!"

"Oh… it was on fire and burnt to ashes…" Fia says with a tone of disappointment. "But hey, at least I managed to save these items!"

She then picks up a pile of items consisting of several Seeds, Apples, Wands, Orbs, and the map, handing it to me.

"Oh… thanks, I guess." I say, trying my best to hold the pile and not to drop any of them.

I look around some more to see the Chandelure squirming on the ground, paralyzed.

 _Oh… right, Fia said she handled the Chandelure… wait, she handled the Chandelure?!_

"Oh… wow… now I wish I was conscious to have seen that," I say, impressed. "That's… what you said you did, right, Fia?"

"You really should've seen me! I looked the Chandelure in the eyes and everything!" She says excitedly. "I just love when I pull last minute Glares like that!

"Wait… you looked Chandelure, _a Ghost type,_ right in the eyes, and succeeded?" I ask.

 _Okay, maybe Chandelure isn't the scariest Ghost type, but still…_

"Yeah… I did…" She says with a look of realization. "I looked a Ghost type right in the eyes! And I wasn't afraid!"

She suddenly wraps her arms around me and carefully pulls me into a hug, trying not to get in the way of me holding pile of items.

"I knew you could do it…" I say.

Looking over Fia's shoulder, I manage to see Mac helping up everyone else, who all look at us with questionable expressions, smiling.

"Oh… heh… hi everyone…" I hear Fia say nervously as we both withdraw. "Up already?"

"That's right," Deerling says. "And Mac told us about how you handled Chandelure."

"Wait… Mac?" I ask. "What're you doing here?"

"It's about time I got to that," He says. "You see, remember when I said I'd do Expedition Society stuff? You see, I actually came here to deliver something to this Chandelure here. It was only until recently that I found out that this Chandelure is _here_ of all places."

"But… where else in Serene Village could a Chandelure be?" Pancham remarks. "Chandelure's a _Ghost_ type for crying out loud!"

"In my defense, my Expedition Gadget here didn't exactly be clear about _what_ Pokémon species I was delivering to," Mac says, holding up his Bronzor-shaped device from earlier. "That's why it took me the entire day to come here."

"How do those things even work, anyway?" Fia asks.

"That… is a very long explanation that I don't think you'd bother listening to the entire way, so I'll save myself the time of explaining that." Mac says.

"So… what were you going to deliver the Chandelure?" Espurr speaks up.

"Oh… right… I'll have to get to that now…" He says, walking over to the paralyzed Chandelure.

He then crouches by Chandelure, rummages through his bag, and takes out… an Apple.

"Oh! Finally!" Chandelure says excitedly, breaking out of her paralysis. "Apple!"

She then carefully picks up the Apple with her arms and takes several bites out of it using her… mouth.

"Thank you, stranger!" Chandelure says, continuing to bite into the Apple.

"Just doing my job," Mac says in a modest tone. "Just make sure to go out to get your own food next time, okay?"

"Is… that it?" I ask.

"Yep," Mac replies. "This Chandelure just needed some food to get rid of stress."

"Is… that why you fought us?" Deerling asks, raising her voice at Chandelure. "And is that why Serene Village got so hot all of a sudden?!"

"Oh… yeah…" Chandelure replies with a suddenly nervous tone. "It's… just been really stressful around here, okay?! With the hunger… I couldn't even go outside because I saw some bright lights near Serene Village! I… don't like lights."

"Wait… lights?" I ask.

"Yes! Lights! Multicoloured too!" Chandelure continues. "I… really don't like lights… even if I'm a Fire type, I still don't like them! So I kept myself hidden here… and… well… I needed to vent out some heat to deal with my stress… but looks like that didn't turn out so well. Heh… heh… oops."

 _Oh… oh no…_

 _It can't be… Beheeyem…_

 _I really need to talk to Nuzleaf about this when I get the chance…_

"Indigo?" Fia asks me, everyone noticing my sudden look of worry. "What's wrong?"

I quickly shake my head, snapping myself out of my thoughts.

"Nothing, nothing." I say.

"Well… if you say so," Mac says, rummaging through his bag and taking out an Escape Orb. "But at least you don't have to worry about the unnatural heat around Serene Village anymore now that we got this Chandelure's stress problem over with."

"Wait wait wait," Pancham interrupts. "One more question. How _the flying Dodrio_ does this Chandelure fight so good?! Let alone know more than four moves!"

"Hee hee!" Chandelure giggles excitedly, winking. "That's a secret! Now, off you go!"

Chandelure then swings an arm at Mac's feet, making him fall over, break the Escape Orb, and teleport all of us out.

 **Serene Village's Plaza**

"So… ugh… that was a rather abrupt exit," Mac says, getting up. "But anyways, here we are again, just like yesterday. What excuse are you going to make to your parents this time?"

"I'm already sure I don't have to worry about that." Espurr says nonchalantly.

"Uh… I don't think lying is a good idea anymore…" Goomy speaks up, his body now unflattened and taking its normal structure. "I'm just glad the weather's normal and cool now… I'll just let the truth out to my parents and see where that gets me…"

"That's a good idea, actually," Mac comments. "How about you all do that?"

"And tell my parents I got beaten up by a Chandelure?" Shelmet responds with a sarcastic scoff. "Yeah, please!"

We all respond by looking at him with disapproving expressions. Even Pancham starts staring at him.

"Okay… fine…" He says, sounding defeated. "But _only_ because of Deerling."

"I can't wait to tell Pops about how I got over my fear of Ghost types!" Fia exclaims excitedly, starting to run off. "Don't worry, Indigo! I won't forget that I couldn't have done this without you!"

 _Oh… well, there goes that 'do you mind' question… I guess maybe I'll get my answer to that some time later…_

 _But I guess I should get going home now… I hope Nuzleaf won't get too mad at me…_

The rest of us part our separate ways as I start to head back to the house. I knock on the door and it swings open to show Nuzleaf, except instead of being sleepy, he appears upset.

"Well, well, well, if it ain't Indigo," He says, crossing his arms. "I assume you went out again _extra late?"_

"I… I can explain," I say. "Please, it's a long story, but you _definitely_ need to hear this!"

"I gave you a chance before, but I ain't being merciful this time," He replies. "And right after you said you'd do your best to be back early! Go to bed! We're going exploring early tomorrow!"

I silence myself and gulp, quickly heading to my room, dropping my items, and lying down on my bed.

 _Well… I guess I had it coming to me…_

 _But… at least I got Fia to get over her fear of Ghost types… that's always a plus… even if I never got the answer to that 'do you mind' question… I'm starting to wonder why it took her so long to answer…_

 _I guess I have other things to worry about… especially with those multicoloured lights Chandelure mentioned… I really need to tell Nuzleaf about it when I think he's willing to listen…_

 _Okay, okay, enough of this thinking, Indigo. You need to sleep, or else Nuzleaf is going to get even angrier at me…_

 **NOTE: Salutations, reader. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, even if it's a really long one. Also because I feel like my recent chapters, including this one, have been really… 'weak', which I sincerely apologize for. Or maybe that's just me. But hey, if you enjoyed this chapter, a review on your way out would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this chapter, I hope you have a really good day.**

 **PS. Bonus points goes to whoever knows what game this chapter's Chandelure is from. (And no, she's not from any of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games)**

 _-flareon71_


	10. 10: The Farewell Choice

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 10 - The Farewell Choice**

 **Revelation Mountain's Entrance, Indigo's POV**

 _I still haven't got a chance to tell Nuzleaf about the lights Chandelure saw…_

 _Apparently he's been emphasizing that I keep as quiet as possible for… some reason…_

After waking up to find myself being dragged across a rather mountainous path (which I think is because Nuzleaf gave up trying to wake me up because I guess I'm a deep sleeper) I got up to see that I was given a spare bag by Nuzleaf with my items inside, and apparently Nuzleaf's taking me to this place called Revelation Mountain. As to why he's taking me here, I never got my answer since, well, he wanted me to stay quiet.

After a bit more of walking, I then find myself crouched behind some large rock with Nuzleaf.

"Uh… Nuzleaf…" I speak up.

"Shh!" He whispers in a harsh tone, putting a finger to his mouth. "I told you to stay quiet! Now stay here until I say the coast is clear!"

I shrink back into my crouching position at his harsh tone.

"Y-Yes, Nuzleaf…" I say quietly, several feelings of regret coursing through me.

 _Just be quiet next time…_

 _He told you to stay quiet, so why did you have to speak up?!_

I sigh and shake my head, trying to shake away my thoughts.

I slowly stand up and peek over the rock to see some sort of archway leading to an even more forest-like area. I then notice two Beedrill hovering side to side by the archway in a pace-like manner. Nuzleaf starts to approach the Beedrill.

"Hold it, Nuzleaf," One of the Beedrill says, blocking his path. "Revelation Mountain is not to be crossed at this time."

"Whoa, hold your Rapidash, I'm not here to cross the mountain," Nuzleaf says, putting his hands in front of him and waving them defensively. "I'm just here to guard this area."

"Guard… this area?" Another Beedrill says, sounding confused. "But we're guarding the area today."

"Then I'm afraid you got your schedule mixed up," Nuzleaf says, shrugging. "Last time I remember, I'm guarding the area today."

One of the Beedrill then nudges the other with his arm stinger. "I told you I was unsure about the schedule!"

"Well, sorry for being forgetful, okay?!" The other Beedrill yells.

"Pardon me for interrupting your little argument here, but I reckon you get back to wherever you came from, okay?" Nuzleaf says, taking a polite tone.

"Fine… but I'm not going to explain to Vespiquen about this once we get back to Nectar Meadow!" One of the Beedrill yells as they both fly away.

"Hey! Neither am I!" The other yells. "You do it!"

Nuzleaf then looks ahead to see the Beedrill fly away. He then starts walking to me once their out of earshot.

"Well, that was easier than expected," He says to me, his volume indicating that I don't have to keep quiet anymore. "Let's go, Indigo. We've got a mountain to traverse."

"Wait, wait, wait," I protest, waving my paws in front of my face. "I thought you said you're supposed to be guarding this area?"

"Guard this area?" Nuzleaf says with a slight chuckle. "I only said that so that those Beedrill would leave. Heck, I'm not even on the guarding schedule at all."

"But… wouldn't the villagers complain about this?" I ask.

"The only reason they'd complain is if someone gets hurt in the mountain because it wasn't guarded properly," He responds. "Worst case scenario, we get caught exploring the mountain, or one of us gets seriously hurt, leading to the events I just mentioned before."

"Oh… but… why are we exploring this mountain if we might get injured in doing so?" I ask.

"Well, that's because the top of this mountain is a very sacred place to… well, the entirety of the Water Continent," Nuzleaf replies. "And since it's such a sacred place, I thought getting there might help with your lost human memories and all that…"

 _Oh… right… it's about time I got more information on that…_

The two of us then walk past the archway and start heading up the slanted path.

"We might be able to learn how you ended up here…" Nuzleaf continues. "We might be able to learn how you lost memories, too… heck, we might even be able to learn why them Beheeyem tried to attack you with their scary Psychic beams and Steel Wings and all that!"

Nuzleaf's mention of the Beheeyem causes me to suddenly remember something.

"Actually… Nuzleaf… yesterday I met a Chandelure…" I speak up, taking a serious tone. "And… she said something about noticing multicoloured lights near the village."

"Sweet gravy…" Nuzleaf says in a shocked tone, turning to face me with a look of surprise. "You don't reckon that these lights are the Beheeyem, do you?"

I slowly nod. "It… could be…"

"This… this is real bad," Nuzleaf says. "They must've been able to finally track you down… but even then… telling the villagers about this would just cause panicked chaos to spread… I guess I'll have no choice but try to defend you myself when they come…"

"Nuzleaf…" I say, finding myself touched by his decision to protect me. "Come on, you don't have to…"

"I have to, Indigo," Nuzleaf says with a gentle tone, a faint smile on his face. "It is my duty as your guardian and all that…"

 _Wow… only now did I realize how much of a competent parent Nuzleaf's been… that is, for taking care of me for only a few days… Because of this… I'm starting to wonder… was Nuzleaf ever a legitimate parent?_

…

 _The more I think about it… the more it seems like it…_

"So… uh… Nuzleaf, what _is_ at the top of Revelation Mountain, anyway?" I ask, deciding to bring it up.

"Well… uh… you know what, I think it'd be better if you just see for yourself," Nuzleaf says, turning to face ahead as we continue walking. "We still need to get to this mountain's top, after all. We're starting to approach the mystery dungeon portion of this mountain now."

"Oh, right, right." I hastily say, snapping out my thoughts as I adjust my bag's strap and start to catch up to him.

 **About an hour later**

I calmly sit in one corner of the moss-ridden forest room as I examine the Emeras in my Looplet with one paw, holding a piece of paper with my other paw.

 _It's a good thing Fia still managed to salvage this piece of paper from my burning bag… It's about time I got to studying this paper of Emeras Watchog gave me._

 _Okay… so according to the paper, this Purple Emera in my Looplet is the Intimidator Emera…_

My black dangles on the sides of my head then rise and I sense something. I quickly look to my left to see a Pawniard running my way, ready to slash at me. I then glare at the Pawniard as my Intimidator Emera glows, and the Pawniard suddenly stops in place, looking intimidated. I smile and look back to my Looplet and paper.

 _And this slightly darker purple Emera is a Barrage Emera…_

I then look back to the still-intimidated Pawniard and ready a Focus Blast with one of my paws, only for the Focus Blast orb to split into two.

 _So that's what it does…_

I then hurl the projectiles at the Pawniard, both of them hitting it and sending it all the way to the other side of the room and knocking it out.

I then scan over the paper for a few more seconds and fold it up, putting it back into my bag.

 _Okay… I think I've memorized all the Emeras…_

I stand up and look ahead to the other side of the room to see that Nuzleaf finishing off a hostile Mismagius with a Dark Pulse beam.

"Oh, you done already, Indigo?" He asks, turning to face me.

"That's right," I say, walking up to him. "Now I don't have to worry about mixing up Emera types anymore."

"I'm glad you're getting used to this exploring thing," Nuzleaf says, sounding proud. He then takes an Apple out of his bag and tosses it my direction. "Here. Take this. We've been exploring this place for quite a while, after all."

I catch the Apple and take a bite out of it, starting to feel more energized.

"How long have we been exploring, anyway?" I ask in between bites.

"We're actually almost there…" Nuzleaf says, taking a bite into an Apple of his own.

 _Oh… good… this is one of the longest exploration sessions I've been on…_

"Almost to the halfway point, that is…" He says, swallowing a chunk of Apple and taking another.

 _WAIT WHAT_

Nuzleaf's response shocks me to the point where I almost spit out my piece of Apple, but I luckily manage to resist doing so.

 _I guess that's why the mystery dungeon so far hasn't felt as challenging as Nuzleaf made it sound like…_

"Oh… well… I'll try to manage, I guess…" I say, feeling slightly disappointed.

I then feel Nuzleaf put a hand on my back and face me.

"It's not that bad, Indigo," He says, noticing my disappointment. "After all, once we get this exploration over with, I reckon we'll probably learn a thing or two about your past. That's nice, right?"

"Well… I suppose…" I reply, managing a smile.

"That's the spirit," He says, starting to walk ahead. "Now, let's get going."

 **A few minutes later, Author's POV**

"Okay… here we are, Indigo…" Nuzleaf says quietly as the two sneak up behind a large rock. "The halfway point…"

The two peek over the rock to see _another_ archway, this time to a mountainous path. A Magneton, Magnezone, and a Smeargle all pace around the area.

"HOW LONG ARE WE GOING TO GUARD THIS PLACE AGAIN?" The Magneton asks.

"UNTIL THE CONVENIENCE OF BEING IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME CALLS FOR US, DEPUTY MAGNETON," The Magnezone beeps in response. "THE POWER OF CONVENIENCE IS POWERFUL, BUT IT'LL ONLY CALL FOR US WHEN WE NEED IT TO CALL US. AND RIGHT NOW, CONVENIENCE ONLY CALLS FOR US TO STAY HERE!"

"B-BUT THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE ANY SENSE!" Deputy Magneton complains. "I DON'T EVEN GET WHAT YOU MEAN WITH THIS WHOLE 'CONVENIENCE' THING, OFFICER MAG-"

"HUSH NOW, DEPUTY MAGNETON!" Magnezone beeps in a harsh tone. "I THOUGHT I ALREADY TOLD YOU! IN THIS CONTINENT… I'M _SHERIFF_ MAGNEZONE!"

"I STILL DON'T GET IT- WAIT, WHERE DID YOU GET THAT HAT?!" Deputy Magneton protests, pointing out the brown cowboy hat that just appeared out of nowhere on the top of Sheriff Magnezone's antenna.

"I HAVE MY WAYS…" Sheriff Magnezone beeps in a mysterious tone. "ISN'T THAT RIGHT, SMEARGLE?"

The Smeargle pacing alongside them nods silently with a calm expression. However, the Smeargle's calm expression immediately turns to cautious as he holds his tail like a weapon, making it sharpen to look like that of a blade, and looks around.

"W-WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH SMEARGLE, OFF- I MEAN, SHERIFF?" Deputy Magneton beeps nervously, starting to fidget with his magnets.

"HE MUST'VE HEARD SOMEONE…" Sheriff Magnezone beeps with a cautious tone, looking around the area as well. "STAY ON GUARD, DEPUTY! SOMEONE MUST BE TRYING TO TRESPASS THE AREA!"

Meanwhile, Nuzleaf quickly withdraws behind the rock, breathing heavily.

"Darn…" He whispers. "I only had to take one step in front of this rock before that Smeargle heard me coming… the security is sure much more superior here… Looks like we came here on the wrong day…"

"Oh… can't you just pull the same 'schedule' thing with them?" Indigo asks, slightly desperate.

"I'm afraid I can't… I know these three enough to know that they won't fall for it…" Nuzleaf replies.

"So… we can't head forward from here?" Indigo asks quietly, his tone shifting into that of disappointment.

Nuzleaf hesitates, then peeks over the large rock to see the three guards back to pacing again.

' _I guess I really can't do anything about it… right now…'_ He thinks, gritting his teeth in slight frustration.

He then ducks back behind the rock and sighs, facing Indigo with a remorseful look.

"I'm afraid we really can't press onward from here… Sorry, Indigo…" Nuzleaf whispers. "Looks like we won't be able to learn anything about you yet…"

"Oh…" The Riolu looks down, disappointed, and sighs. "I-It's understandable, I guess…"

"There there…" Nuzleaf whispers sympathetically, rubbing a hand on Indigo's back. "We'll probably get some more information about you some other day… Now let's get out of here."

Indigo slowly nods as he takes out an Escape Orb from his bag and gets ready to smash it, only for Nuzleaf to stop him.

"Just one second, Indigo…" He says. "Let's get back to the mystery dungeon behind us first so our teleportation out of here won't get noticed."

 **Several minutes later, Serene Village, Fia's POV**

 _Come on… I've been waiting for him for what seems like forever…_

Pops wasn't really… happy… about my little accomplishment at Ancient Barrow yesterday. Actually, he was mad. Sure, in the end he was still proud that I actually got over my fear of Ghost types, but he was still mad. At least he saved his yelling until this morning. And then once he finally let me out, that brings me to where I am now.

I repeatedly pace back and forth in front of Nuzleaf's house, waiting.

 _He has to come out of there sooner or later…_

I then hear the sound of footsteps behind me and I turn around excitedly. However, my excitement starts to fade when I see the source of the footsteps being a group of my classmates instead of Indigo.

"Good morning, Fia," Espurr greets me. "What're you doing here by… Nuzleaf's house?"

"Waiting for Indigo." I say.

"Oh… wow… you _really_ are that close to him to the point where you'd wait in front of his house for him, huh?" Espurr replies, sounding impressed.

"Yep!" I say, standing up with my hands on my sides in a proud pose. "I… actually have been doing this for the past few days though, but still! We're close!"

"I'll admit… I can't help but feel jealous at how fast you two have befriended," Espurr says with a smile. "I wish I could accomplish friendship goals like that…"

"So… how long have you been waiting here?" Deerling asks.

"Quite a long time, actually…" I say as I put a hand behind my head, slightly embarrassed.

"Maybe he's gone somewhere or something…" Goomy speaks up.

"Could've gone out earlier than you, too." Pancham adds.

"Actually… I did head out earlier than Fia," We all look over to see Indigo approaching us, though I can't help but notice he seems… less lively than usual. "Hi everyone."

"Indigo!" I run over to him excitedly. "Where were you?"

"Went exploring with Nuzleaf." He says, right as Nuzleaf appears and walks up to Indigo.

"Didn't exactly go as well as I thought…" Nuzleaf adds. He then turns to face Indigo. "It looks like you've got some company here, Indigo. I'll just leave you be and head into the house to eat. I'll leave it unlocked in case you want to head back inside."

"Alright, thanks." Indigo says as Nuzleaf walks away to the house.

The seven of us then all start to make our way to the plaza.

"So… what now, Indigo?" I ask. "Where'd you go exploring, anyway?"

"Oh… I'd rather not talk about it…" He says, suddenly sounding down.

 _Okay… something's wrong._

"What about you guys?" Indigo asks, turning to face everyone else. "If you're all here, then you must have something planned, right?"

"Actually… no, we don't," Deerling replies. "We all just ended up at the same place wondering why Fia's been standing by the door to Nuzleaf's house."

"But if you have anything else planned like an exploration, I'd be willing to go with it," Espurr speaks up. "I… don't really have anything better to do at my house, and I thought our exploration at Ancient Barrow was the most fun I've ever had. You know, as a group of friends."

"Actually… while I do agree with you on that Ancient Barrow bit… I have to wonder…" Shelmet responds. "Are you _sure_ you have nothing else better to do at your house? Don't your parents have chores or stuff for you to do or anything? Part of me is even becoming curious to the point where I'd like to meet your parents since none of us have ever actually been to your house."

"P-Please… don't…" Espurr replies, suddenly sounding nervous and withdrawn. "Just… please don't come to my house. Trust me on this."

I then notice Goomy take note of Espurr's nervousness as he starts to talk to her in what I assume is a comforting fashion.

"Anyway…" I speak up. "Do you have any explorations planned, Indigo?"

"Well… uh… I guess I'd like to deal with this bag…" Indigo says, motioning to the brown bag he's carrying.

"Oh! You got a new one to replace the purple leaves one that got burned!" I say in a congratulatory tone. "Wait… but what does this have to do with exploring?"

"Actually… as much as having a legitimate bag is nice and all, I prefer my purple leaves one…" He says, chuckling a bit as he puts a paw behind his head. "Which is why I'd like to go back to Foreboding Forest to get some purple leaves to cover this bag. Other than Fia who I know is going to want to come, does anyone else want to tag along and help?"

Indigo's question is then met with responses from everyone else.

 _Well… looks like all seven of us are coming._

 **A few minutes later, Foreboding Forest**

 _This… really isn't exploring… more like sitting around in a single room while we get leaves and sticks for Indigo… Sure Pancham and Shelmet get to be in charge of making sure hostile Pokémon don't interrupt us, but I don't want to be here just sitting around…_

 _But I guess I'd rather help Indigo with the leaves…_

"So… Indigo," I whisper as I walk over to him, carrying a bunch of leaves in my vines. "Do you mind if we talk?"

"Talk… about what?" He says back, taking the leaves and sticking them to his bag using his paw or something. "And… why are you whispering?"

"I want to know what happened at that exploration you had with Nuzleaf…" I continue, taking a serious tone. "I've noticed that something about you seemed… off… and I want to know why…"

"Oh… you really want to know?" He replies, facing me as Espurr levitates a bunch of leaves and sticks collected by Deerling and Goomy. "It's… quite a long story… and I don't know if you'd believe me… but do you still want to know?"

"Of course," I say, smiling in an attempt to cheer him up as well. "I'm your friend, right? Close friend, too. That's what the scarves symbolise, right? And hey, unlike your previous bag, these scarves are fireproof! Which means that not even the hottest of flames could break our friendship!"

He smiles back.

"I guess you're right…" He says, slowly quieting to a whisper. "Well… fine… The last thing I remember _at all_ was just me waking up in the middle of nowhere… all I remembered was my name, and… well… memories that indicate that I used to be a human…"

 _Wait a second…_

"No… way…" I say, suddenly in awe. I then remember to shift back to a whisper. "You… used to be a human? And now you've somehow turned into a Riolu?"

He nods slowly.

"Whoa…" I say, putting my hands to my mouth in amazement. "That's… so… cool…"

"Cool?" He raises an eyebrow. "You don't think it's… weird or anything?"

"Why would I? Humans are the kind of stuff we hear in legends and all that!" I respond, in an excited whisper. "I'm surprised you didn't tell me about this sooner! Come to think of it… if you're a Riolu now… that used to be a human, the stuff of legends… then there _must_ be a reason you ended up here of all places!"

"That… actually follows into what I'm about to tell you next…" Indigo whispers, shifting back into a serious tone. "You see… I didn't really know what to make of my whole 'used to be a human and is now a Riolu' situation when I woke up that day because I didn't really know what to make of it since I apparently lost my memories. But then these Beheeyem started coming to me and tried to kill me for some reason! And then… I ran into Nuzleaf, who brought me to Serene Village… and here we are now."

"Oh… wow… but wait, what does have to do with what I just said?"

"I was just getting to that…" He whispers. "You see, today Nuzleaf took me to go exploring Revelation Mountain, which he told me was some sort of sacred place around Serene Village. He said that reaching its top might help me learn more about myself since, well, the place is _that_ sacred or something. But… we didn't get to the top of Revelation Mountain… and I was really looking forward to learning more about myself and why I ended up here as a Riolu, too…"

"Oh… I'm sorry about what happened…" I say. "Well… I can tell you some things about yourself if it'll make you feel better. You're my really good friend… you have really great fur… and you look good for a human turned Riolu."

"Heh… thanks, Fia…" He smiles at me. But his smile quickly fades. "But… actually… I…" He trails off, looking down onto the ground and appearing deep in thought.

"You… what?" I ask, slightly confused.

"Never mind…" He shakes his head, still facing away from me.

 _Oh… this must be worse than I thought… but… how much worse?_

"Hey! Indigo!" We both look around to see Espurr calling out to us. "Aren't you done with the leaves yet?"

"What lea-" Indigo cut himself off when he sees the large pile of purple leaves that were in front of him the whole time. "Oh. Sorry. I'll get to these."

 **Some time later, Serene Village's Plaza, Author's POV**

The group of seven students all head back to the plaza, somewhat exhausted from the walk back from Foreboding Forest.

"Thanks for helping me with my bag, everyone," Indigo says, his bag now covered with purple leaves and sticks. "Now to hope this one doesn't burn to ashes…"

"No problem," Pancham replies. "It's not like we had anything else to do-"

Pancham is then interrupted when a wobbling Ampharos almost bumps into the group, instead bumping into one of Cafe Connection's walls.

"Oh, please do pardon me, children…" The Ampharos says in a polite tone, male. "I have the world's worst sense of direction, especially in new places…"

"Uh… okay… what brings you to Serene Village, then?" Deerling asks.

The Ampharos quickly shakes his head and walks over to the group, regaining his sophisticated composure.

"I'm here to pick up two Pokémon," The Ampharos answers. "One's a Chespin, and the other's a Fletchling. Have you seen them?"

Before any of the group could respond, a voice calls out to Ampharos from the path to the school.

"Chief!" Mac calls out, walking up to Ampharos as a Fletchling joins him.

"C-Chief!" The Fletchling says excitedly, his voice jittery and unstable and his pupils unable to sit straight.

"Uh… is he alright?" Indigo asks.

"Oh, this? Don't worry about him," Mac replies. "Flaps is normally like this."

"So, is it time to head back to Lively Town, Chief?" Mac asks.

"Well, is Flaps fit enough to fly us back?" Ampharos responds.

"Y-you bet I can fly! B-but w-what's an us?!" Flaps asks.

"Wait… he can carry an Ampharos?!" Fia asks, surprised.

"Yeah… he can, actually," Mac says, chuckling as he turns to face the group of students. "It's surprising how much extra weight a Fletchling can carry just by teaching him Fly."

"So, Mac, shall we get going?" Ampharos asks.

"Actually… do you remember the Riolu and Snivy I told you about?" Mac responds. "They're here."

All of the students eyes suddenly aimed at Indigo and Fia, the two just as surprised as everyone else.

"Oh?" Ampharos says with an intrigued tone as he eyes Indigo and Fia. "I almost forgot Mac told me about you. He told me that you two were surprisingly capable for your ages. That and something about you two wanting to join the Society. Recalling what Mac told me about you two, I was surprised to learn that your actions were Expedition Society worthy. So, now that you've been given the approval of yours truly, would you two like to join the Society now?"

Fia's excitement starts to reach its peak.

"Yes, yes, yes!" She exclaims, hopping with happiness. "Isn't this great, Indigo?"

However, Indigo's ears droop as his expression changes to that of being conflicted.

"Fia… can we talk?" He says, taking the Snivy by the hand and bringing her away.

"Oh? Need some time to talk about it?" Ampharos asks, raising an eyebrow. "Well, take your time, you two. I'll just go get a drink at the cafe first, then I'll be back with you."

Ampharos then turns to head towards the cafe, only to almost bump into one of its walls before Mac stops him.

"It's this way, Chief…" Mac says, grabbing ahold of Ampharos as he guides him into the cafe, Flaps following.

"We'll… uh… leave you to talk about that Expedition Society thing," Deerling calls out to Indigo and Fia. "We don't want to get in the way of your personal matters or anything, so we'll just head into the cafe too…"

 **Indigo's POV**

I bring Fia past the plaza's entrance archway and over a bridge before stopping.

"W-What did you want to talk to me about, Indigo?" Fia asks me once I let go of her hand.

"Fia… I can't join the Expedition Society with you anymore…" I say in a serious tone.

My response earns me a shocked look from Fia.

"B-B-But why?" She says, sounding like she's on the verge of tears. "Y-You said you'd join me and everything!"

"Fia… remember the multicoloured lights Chandelure said she saw?" I continue. "I discussed this with Nuzleaf, and we both think it's the Beheeyem that tried to kill me… That means they've managed to track me down… which is why I have to go."

"But… why do some stupid Beheeyem have to get in the way of you coming to the Expedition Society?" She responds. "You can just hide away from the Beheeyem at the Expedition Society, you know!"

I slowly shake my head.

"No, Fia. They'd still track me down there," I reply. "And I'd rather have them hunt me down than get you involved with this… Please Fia… I'm worried about you…"

Tears start to run down Fia's face.

"B-But-"

Before she could continue, I quickly pull her closer to me and hug her, silencing her in the process.

"Please… I don't want to be the one to get in the way of your dreams…" I say to her, starting to tear up as well. "You don't need me to help you… you've been doing perfectly well… and don't let anyone else say otherwise. Just… go join the Society without me."

We both withdraw from the hug and look into each other's tear-ridden eyes.

"And… besides… at least we'll still be friends…" I say, managing a faint smile. "Wherever I'll be, I'll still have this scarf to remember you by… Sorry that you dont have anything to remember me by, though…"

I wipe my tears and turn away from Fia, slowly walking towards Nuzleaf's house.

"I'm going to talk to Nuzleaf about this…" I say to Fia. "You should also probably go talk to your Pops about this, too. Gotta inform him of your departure, after all."

 **Author's POV**

As Indigo enters Nuzleaf's house and swings the door swings closed, Fia is left sobbing on the grass outside.

"Indigo…" She mutters. "I just… wished we could've been together… forever…"

 **That night, Indigo's POV**

I look out my window to confirm that it is indeed nighttime before closing it.

"So… you sure about this, Indigo?" Nuzleaf asks, concerned. "Do you really want to head out at a time like this?"

I nod.

Nuzleaf then walks over to me and pulls me into a hug.

"It was a pleasure to have taken care of you, Indigo…" He says. "Watch yourself out there, alright?"

"I will…" I say as we both withdraw.

"And if them Beheeyem ever do come here to Serene Village to search for any trace of you, you can definitely count on me to send them back hollering wherever they came from!" He says, starting to sound defensive. His tone then shifts back to calm. "Be sure to visit every now and then if you have the time, alright?"

I nod as I start to head out the door.

"Bye, Nuzleaf…"

I close the door once I'm outside and take a deep breath.

 _Okay… here I am… no turning back now…_

I head out to the plaza and take in how empty it is.

 _Just as I expected… now there won't be anyone here to stop me from leaving…_

I open my bag and take out my map only to hear a voice call out to me in my head.

' _Indigo, wait!'_

 _That voice… must be Espurr._

I quickly turn around and see Espurr as well as the other students coming up to me. That is, all the students except Fia, of course.

"Oh… hi everyone," I say, slightly nervous by their sudden arrival. "Please don't tell me you're here to stop me from leaving…"

"No, no, don't get the wrong idea," Deerling says in a defensive tone. "We've all come to see you off. Fia told us about your departure and everything."

"We all thought we'd say goodbye before you go," Espurr says. "I mean… I don't know how, but with all the explorations we've been on, I feel like all of us have gotten closer as friends…"

"Ever since the end of this school year, I've noticed that Pancham and Shelmet have actually been less obnoxious! It's unbelievable!" Deerling says.

I then notice Pancham and Shelmet appear offended by Deerling's statement, but quickly shake it off.

"You've really got some guts, Indigo," Shelmet says to me. "I'll admit, Fia has guts too. And I respect you both for that."

"And if a Pokémon like you has the integrity to do things like save Goomy, then I figured I have a _lot_ to learn about integrity as well." Pancham adds.

"Our explorations actually got me used to mystery dungeons and everything!" Goomy says, sounding happy for himself. "Now I have much less things to worry about!"

"I'll admit… all of you guys have felt like family to me…" Espurr speaks up, starting to sound emotional. "And… it's going to be a lot more lonely with two more empty seats at the classroom… but still, we'll be rooting for you. Both you and Fia."

I start to feel a bit emotional myself.

"Thanks for your kind words, everyone…" I say.

I then turn around and start to head down the path leading out of Serene Village, hearing good luck cries behind me.

 _I hope things go well for them… I really appreciated that they went through the trouble to see me off…_

 _Too bad I didn't get any proper farewell from Fia… not even in a letter or anything…_

 _But I guess you don't really have much time to write a letter when you have a ride waiting…_

Now out of earshot of the good luck cries behind me, I sigh and look back to my map, scanning for a location.

 _I better get back to the task at hand. I need to head as far away from Serene Village as possible…_

 _Let's see… okay. The farthest place from here that I can get to is the Sheer Mountain Range…_

Something in my mind clicks.

 _Why do I feel like I've heard someone mention the Sheer Mountain Range before?_

…

 _Never mind. It's probably just me._

 **NOTE: And with the chapter ending with Indigo heading out of Serene Village and also away from school, I have to go back to it! Hooray… *Ahem* Salutations, reader! Hopefully you've enjoyed this rather long chapter, because I tried my best to finish this before I have to go to school again tomorrow! Wait a second I shouldn't be sounding enthusiastic about this whole 'school tomorrow' thing… But anyway, you probably get the drill. Publishing times are going to be MUCH later than usual, so I apologize in advance if later chapters are CRAZY late or feel rushed. And with that being said, if you've enjoyed this chapter, a review would be greatly appreciated and would definitely help make my day! Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to read this, and I hope you have a good day! :D**

 _-flareon71_


	11. 11: Let's Stick Together

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 11 - Let's Stick Together**

 **Hours earlier, Lively Town, Author's POV**

Despite the heavy load on Flaps' back, the mentally challenged Fletchling energetically swoops around the center of Lively Town's plaza, slowly descending to make sure he doesn't accidentally land on one of the many Pokémon passing through the area. The Fletchling eventually manages to land on the ground safely with a standstill despite his constantly trembling posture.

"T-T-Touchdown!" Flaps yells, a hint of triumph in his jittery voice.

"Oh… wow, finally, I thought we'd never have another successful landing." Mac says in awe as he gets off of Flaps.

"What does he even mean by 'touchdown', anyway?" Ampharos asks as he gets off of Flaps as well. "I've never heard that term before…"

Mac simply shrugs.

"Well… regardless, I'm glad we didn't end up having a crash landing," Ampharos says. "But… it's a shame that Snivy refused our offer to fly back with us."

"She still said she was coming, though," Mac says as the three of them walk away towards some large building to the north. "She just said she wanted to take the long way here… But why?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

 **That night, Serene VIllage Plaza**

"And… there he goes…" Deerling says as Indigo walks out of sight and earshot. "Hope things go well for him, wherever he's going…"

"I don't fully understand his motive for leaving though…" Espurr adds. "Part of me thinks that it's utterly ridiculous…"

"Finally, now I know I'm not the only one!" Shelmet exclaims with a sigh of relief. "He must be _really_ underestimating the Expedition Society if he thinks they can't take on a few Beheeyem!"

"Guess we can't really do anything about it now…" Goomy replies. "He already left and everything after we gave him our farewells and stuff…"

"Yeah…" Pancham says, looking down and sighing. "I already miss them both…"

Espurr sighs with disappointment.

"Me too… but at this point we can only wish the best for them, right?" She asks.

Then, before any of the others could respond, a figure suddenly dashes past the group, surprising them in the process.

"Hey, wait, who are you?!" Deerling yells, unable to identify the running figure due to the night's darkness.

However, the figure doesn't respond as it continues running down the path out of the village, the quiet sound of its running slowly fading out of earshot.

 **Present time, the next morning, Past Sheer Mountain Range's Exit, Indigo's POV**

 _Oh… ow… is it morning already?_

I open my eyes to see the rays of sunshine lighting up the green grass in the clearing I'm in.

 _Okay… morning's come… time to move…_

I put my paws to the ground and try to get up on my feet, but I start to feel pain course through my body.

 _Ow… ow…_ I think, wincing as I slowly manage to stand up. _Guess exploring Sheer Mountain Range late at night wasn't a good idea… let alone deciding to sleep on this one empty clearing without any straw bed whatsoever…_

I then walk over to where I left my bag and eat an Oran Berry, only to realize something.

 _Wait a second… did I just walk past a sleeping figure-_

"FIA WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" I yell, jumping back in surprise.

My yell causes her to wake up with a jolt and jump up with surprise right next to where I was sleeping.

"WHY ARE YOU YELLING?!" She screams.

Her angry tone then immediately shifts to that of being in pain as she groans.

"Ow… my body hurts for some reason…" She groans, almost falling over.

I quickly take an Oran Berry out of my bag and toss it her way, and she gladly eats it.

"Thanks…" She says, quickly finishing the berry. "Now where was I? Oh, right! WHY WERE YOU YELLING AT ME?!"

"I DIDN'T EXPECT YOU TO BE HERE!" I yell. "WEREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE EXPEDITION SOCIETY AND ALL THAT?!"

"I CAME HERE TO GET YOU TO COME TO THE SOCIETY, INDIGO!" She yells back.

"BUT I'D JUST BE LEADING THE BEHEEYEM RIGHT TO THEM!" I yell.

I then find myself falling over when Fia slaps me across the face with the thick end of a vine.

"INDIGO, YOU _IDIOT!"_ She yells as I put a paw to my slightly sore cheek. "YOU'D BE LEADING THOSE BEHEEYEM TO LIVELY TOWN, WHICH I'M PRETTY SURE IS WIDELY POPULATED! THAT AND THERE'S THE EXPEDITION SOCIETY, TOO! DO YOU REALLY THINK THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF LIVELY TOWN CAN'T HANDLE A FEW BEHEEYEM?!"

Fia's reasoning as well as the slap from her vine leaves a mark on me, both physically and mentally.

"Fia… come on…" I say, managing to calm down. "I… I just don't want you to get hurt…"

"That's another thing!" She continues yelling, but I start to hear her slowly calming down. "You worry… _way_ too much about me… not that I don't appreciate it, but still… it's gotten to the point where it's irrational! You don't have to do this! The Society can help you! _I_ can help you! You don't have to go put yourself in danger over something like this!"

Fia's words suddenly strike me, provoking thoughts to pop up in my head.

 _Come on, Indigo! Did you have to screw up_ _ **this**_ _badly?!_

 _I knew this wasn't a good idea from the very start!_

 _Now look what you've done! You didn't_ _ **help**_ _Fia, you just made her hate you!_

 _For crying out loud, she started yelling at you and even slapped you across the face!_

"Fia… I'm sorry…" I mutter.

 _Oh for the love of Arceus, mumbling like this isn't going to solve anything! SPEAK UP!_

"Fia, I'm sorry!" I manage to utter, much louder than last time. "I'm… I'm sorry…"

I nervously glance over to her to see her take a deep breath. She then grabs my paw and helps me up, then immediately pulls me into a hug.

"I… I forgive you, Indigo…" I hear her say, to my relief.

With Fia's forgiveness lifting the tense feeling I had off of me, I slowly calm down and hug her back.

"Just… try to think more next time, okay?" She says to me. "I'm worried about you too, you know?"

"Okay… I… I promise I'll try to think more next time."

"Good…" Fia says as she withdraws from the hug and faces me with a smile.

"So… you don't hate me?" I ask.

"Why would I hate you?" She says, still smiling at me. "If I hated you, then I wouldn't have come back to get you, right? For a former human, you're still quite silly… but I don't mind."

"I… guess you have a point there…" I say, managing a smile. I then realize something and look down in shame. "But… now that you've come here… I guess I've put you way off track from the way to the Expedition Society, haven't I?"

"Don't be silly, silly!" She replies, making a dismissive gesture with her hand. "Look at your map! Sheer Mountain Range is actually part of the path to Lively Town!"

 _Wait what_

I quickly get my map out of my bag and stare at it in shock.

 _Sheer Mountain Range… right next to it is Gentle Slope Cave… which is right next to…_

I widen my eyes in surprise.

… _Lively Town._

I slap a paw to my forehead in disbelief.

"See it now?" Fia says, noticing my disbelief with a smug look on her face.

"Okay… I see it…" I say, putting the map back in my bag, managing a smile once again. "So… we're still going, right?"

"Of course!" She says, grabbing my paw. "Come on, Indigo! We still have Gentle Slope Cave to go through, after all!"

I smile as Fia brings me off towards a nearby cave opening.

 _There's that issue done with… surprisingly quick, too…_

 _And right as I was starting to miss her, too…_

 **A few minutes later, Gentle Slope Cave**

 _This place… is… surprisingly big…_

 _The whole 'sloped' theme is throwing my balance off… I feel like I'd trip any time now because of how uneven the ground is…_

 _And I thought this place was supposed to be 'gentle'..._

Carefully walking through a slightly slanted hallway with Fia walking behind me, the two of us eventually make it to a large open room.

I examine the large moss-ridden rocky room to see a plethora of Poké coin currency, Apples, and several Berries scattered across the floor. I start to feel suspicious.

"Wait… Fia… don't." I say, blocking her off with a paw.

"But… why?" She asks, sounding slightly disappointed.

"Don't you remember Watchog's lesson?" I reply. "This could be a Monster House trap for all we know!"

"Well… we still have to head forward, don't we?" Fia asks, managing to get past me. "And besides… we can probably handle this, right?"

I open my mouth to protest but instead silently wince as Fia runs ahead and grabs an Oran Berry from the ground.

Silence.

 _Silence?_

"See, Indigo?" Fia says with a triumphant smile, taking a bite out of the Oran Berry. "Nothing to worry abo-"

Before Fia could finish, the ground around the room suddenly starts to tremble, and I slowly back away, only to see that this room doesn't have any walls for me to back into. I quickly run back to Fia before I could fall into what pitch black pit rests below this room.

"Uh… Indigo… what's going on?" Fia asks, sounding just as nervous as I am. "I… wasn't really listening to whatever Watchog said about Monster Houses…"

"Well… uh… you see, a Monster House is…" I say, trying to piece my words together as my dangles start to rise. "Oh… uh… wait… I'm sensing something…"

Then, as if on cue, several Onix and Surskit fall from the ceiling and onto the ground, surrounding us.

" _That's_ a Monster House!" I yell, panic rising within me.

"Okay, this is _far_ from fair!" Fia cries out. "Not only are we surrounded, but this mystery dungeon didn't even have any Emeras for us, either!"

All the Onix then let out Screeches that make us flinch and cover our ears, and before me and Fia could recover, we find ourselves being pushed back closer to the room's edge by a barrage of the Bubble Beam attacks from all the Surskit.

 _Urgh…_

Rather than bothering to shake off my wet fur, I quickly grab my bag and take out a Petrify Orb.

 _Good thing I picked this up from Sheer Mountain Range…_

I then smash the Orb, petrifying all the Onix and Surskit in place before they could lunge at us.

I sigh with relief, readying a Focus Blast with my paw as I turn to face Fia, who's turned to face me as well. She readies a Leaf Tornado with an excited look on her face. We both nod.

"After you." I say with a smugly polite tone, concentrating my Focus Blast so that it turns into an Alliance Orb projectile.

I then toss the Orb towards her and she catches it with her tail, fusing it with her Leaf Storm to make it glow.

"Go get them!" I say encouragingly.

She nods at me and points her tail forward, letting loose her Leaf Tornado. The glowing vacuum catches every Pokémon in the room and sends them all around the room.

"Whew… that was fun!" Fia says, happily skipping back to me. "It didn't last very long, but it was still fun regardless!"

I then walk over to get the items lying in the middle of the room, but I hear several cries around me. My dangles rise, and I take a cautious stance.

 _Okay… what's going to pop up this ti-_

My attention is then caught when the fainted Surskit around me get up, glaring at me angrily.

 _Uh oh…_

I then find myself being pushed back towards Fia by a barrage of Bubble Beams, bumping into her. The continuous barrage proceeds to push us both back closer to the edge of the room, right to the pitch black pit behind.

 _Urgh… okay, I need to do something about this!_

I manage to hold my bag up with a paw to block the incoming Bubble Beam and take out a Petrify Orb with the other paw.

Then, right as I feel my feet reach the edge of the room, I manage to smash the Orb and petrify all the Surskit before their Bubble Beam could push me off.

I sigh with slight exhaustion, but thankfully the situation is now much more easier to dea-

"Help!"

I quickly turn around to see Fia hanging from the edge of the ground by her hand, slowly slipping.

"Fia!"

I grab her hand before it could slip from the ground and peer over to see her terrified expression as the pitch black pit looms beneath her.

"H-Help… please…" She says. "That Bubble Beam pushed me off…"

Using what strength I still have after taking a barrage of Bubble Beams, I try to pull her up, but I stop when I feel her hand start to slip from mine, wet.

 _Oh come on… Of course the wetness of the Bubble Beam would come back to bite me…_

"Fia… I don't think I can pull you up…" I say. "Do you think you can use your vines?"

"Oh… I forgot… but I don't think I can get them to pull me up in time…" She says, still facing me with that terrified look. "I'm… slipping… Please… Indigo… help…"

 _Oh… oh no…_

 _Come on, think of something!_

 _Urgh…_

 _Okay… this might work…_

I concentrate, and with the paw holding Fia's slowly slipping hand, I let loose a weak blast of Force Palm energy, sticking her hand to my paw and stopping it from slipping.

I sigh with relief.

"I should be able to pull you up now…" I say, grabbing her hand with my other paw.

As I manage to pull her up away from the edge and back to her feet, her terrified expression fades away and she sighs with relief.

"Thanks…" She says to me, managing a smile. "You can… uh… stop holding my hand now…"

"Oh… uh… right…"

I then try to pull my paw away from her hand, only to realize something when I feel that it's _stuck._

 _YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME._

"Uh… Indigo?" Fia asks with a confused tone as she tries to pull her hand away, but to no avail. "Our hands aren't stuck, are they?"

"I… I can't get my Force Palm to unstick it!" I yell, starting to panic. "We… really are stuck…"

"We need help…" Fia adds. "Wait, the Expedition Society can probably help us!"

"Do… you think they have a nurse or doctor or anything like that to help us?" I ask.

"It's our best bet!" She responds, excitement perking up in her voice as she grabs my stuck paw with her stuck hand. "Now let's go! We're going to reach Lively Town once we reach the next staircase! I can feel it!"

 _Well… at least she's still optimistic…_

 _Then again, I'm pretty sure she's used to the hand holding at this point…_

 _It could've been worse… at least it was my left paw stuck to her right hand… walking would be way more awkward if it were any way else…_

Fia then proceeds to drag me off towards an exit hallway, leaving the petrified Surskit behind.


	12. 12: The Awaited Nickname

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 12 - The Awaited Nickname**

 **Author's POV**

In an uncharted area of the Water Continent, several figures meet up near a large mountainous area.

"So… I can see from here that you didn't make it to the top…" A large winged figure says in a deep voice.

"Not yet…" Another figure replies. "But don't you worry. It's best that we give him more time."

"Well… I'll trust you on that regard," The large winged figure responds. "At least we'll have more time to execute our other series of plans. Give me the list."

Another figure, looking like a strangely smaller 'winged' figure, hands a long piece of paper to the winged figure. The winged figure lands on the ground and picks up the paper with a wing.

"Ah… so Kyogre is out of the picture now…" The winged figure says in realization as it scans the paper. "That adds one more piece of treasure to our possession and power… our master will be pleased… That's one less Pokémon on our list to deal with."

 **Outside Gentle Slope Cave, Fia's POV**

 _Okay… we've been walking through that cave avoiding hostile Pokémon for a long time… this better be it…_

With my hand still stuck to Indigo's paw, the two of us head through a cave mouth to find ourselves outside.

 _OH SWEET SUNSHINE FINALLY_

I sigh with relief and take in the bright sunshine rays, feeling my exhaustion start to ease itself away.

"About time we got out of there…" I turn to my right to see Indigo eat an Oran Berry from his bag. "So… are we at Lively Town yet, Fia?"

I look ahead to see a path leading to a large civilization-like with a _ton_ of shops and buildings.

"There!" I say excitedly, starting to run off.

"Hey, hey, wait!" Indigo calls out, grabbing my hand. "Our hands are still stuck, remember?"

"Then run faster!" I talk back, heading onto a path towards a large entrance archway.

As we both run onto the path to Lively Town, I start to feel the path beneath me shift from the slightly grassy path to that of a more tile-based path made of stone. As we get closer to Lively Town, I start to notice the abundance of Pokémon citizens walking through the area as well as the many shops and houses littered around.

 _Whoa…_

I start to slow down right as me and Indigo reach the large entrance archway looming over us.

"That's a… big archway…" Indigo comments, sounding just as amazed as I am. "So… we're finally here at Lively Town… Where's the Expedition Society?"

"Oh… uh… I'll ask someone!" I say, walking through the archway and looking at all the Pokémon passing by. I then notice a Flareon being followed by… an unusually dark pink Frillish heading towards the archway. "Oh! Excuse me! Can you tell me whe-"

"... You know what, I've had it! I've had it!" I hear the Flareon yell in an irritated tone as he passes by me and Indigo, ignoring me. "If life's just going to be more stressful from here on out, then I don't want to live long enough to experience it!"

"W-Wait!" The Frillish says, continuing to follow the Flareon. "Stop!"

"Who even are you?!" The Flareon yells at the Frillish. "Why are you even following me?!"

The two of them then continue their exchange of angry yells and concerned responses until they're out of earshot, leaving me and Indigo in a mix of shock and confusion.

"What was up with that?" Indigo asks, breaking the silence.

"I… have no idea…" I reply. I then shake away my shock and focus on what I was supposed to ask in the first place. "Uh… let's go try ask some other Pokémon for directions…"

The two of us then walk over to a large circular area which I assume is the center of Lively Town's plaza. As I start to look around for any other Pokémon to ask, I take in the locations of the buildings around.

 _Whoa… the shops and stuff here are placed just like Serene Village… a Kecleon Shop to the top-right of the plaza… Cafe Connection to the top-left… except Hawlucha's store is beside the cafe… with some sort of Klefki store to the left of Hawlucha's store… and there's some Cofagrigus store next to Kecleon's store… This place really is different… and I haven't even gotten to looking at the staircases leading to another area yet…_

"Uh… Fia?" Indigo asks, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Are we going to ask any of the Pokémon passing by, or…"

"Oh, right!" I say, looking around some more for some Pokémon. I then notice two pairs of eyes peeking through a dark narrow alley-like space between Hawlucha's store and Cafe Connection, looking straight at us. "Hey! Maybe we can ask them, Indigo!"

"Uh… I don't know…" Indigo says in a cautious tone. "Looks shady to m-"

I quickly drag Indigo off before he could finish, running towards the pair of eyes looking at us.

"Hi! Excuse me!" I say, approaching the pairs of eyes to see that the figures there are taller than us. "Can you give us directions… to… uh…"

I cut myself off when I see a pair of unnerving grins flash at us.

 _Uh… oh…_

"Now, Krokorok!"

I then find myself being grabbed by the throat by one hand with my mouth being covered by another hand. I let out panicked muffled screams as I hear Indigo let out muffled screams as well, being held by the throat and mouth just like me. I start flailing and struggling, but I end up exhausting myself. I even try to get my vines out, but the hand blocking off my throat is stopping them from coming out.

 _THIS WAS A BIG MISTAKE_

"Heh, and we didn't even have to lure them in with Sweet Chocolate or anything!" I hear the taller figure, which I now see is a Krookodile holding Indigo, say in a smug tone. "Though… the way their hands are somehow stuck is… weird… but still, this was surprisingly easy!"

"You said it, boss!" My captor replies, who I guess is the Krokorok mentioned before. "Now are we going to head back or what?"

My muffled screams start to get even more panicked as I continue flailing and squirming.

"Hold it right there!" I hear a different voice call out.

I then see the source of the new voice coming from a Buizel outside the space, glaring at Krookodile and Krokorok angrily. The Buizel then fires a Hydro Pump, making Krookodile and Krokorok drop us and jump out of the way of the attack. Once we land on the ground, me and Indigo quickly shake off the impact and scramble back to the Buizel, almost tripping because of our hands still being stuck together..

"Argh!" I hear the Krookodile yell angrily, stomping a foot onto the ground. "Of course you'd find us right before we could make an escape after a capture! Let's book it, Krokorok!"

"No!" Buizel yells as he starts to charge up a Water type move.

Buizel then lets loose a Hydro Pump, but before it could hit Krookodile and Krokorok, a large gust of sand surrounds them, and once it clears, they're nowhere to be seen.

"Shoot! They escaped using the Sand Tomb Dig combo!" Buizel yells in frustration.

"The… what combo?" Indigo asks.

"They used Dig to get away while using Sand Tomb at the same time to cover up the ground and hide their escape…" Buizel replies. "And I was so close to getting them after spending way too much time trying to hunt them down… But at least I managed to save you two before they got away with you…"

"Thanks… but who were those two, anyway?" I ask. "And who are you?"

"Those two… are Krookodile and Krokorok. They're crooks who've been trying and failing to pull off… kidnappings… but they always get away before I can get them to turn them in… Urgh, if only Sheriff Magnezone comes to Lively Town more often…" Buizel responds. "But I guess there's no point trying to dig after them right now, because trust me, they move _fast._ As for who I am, I'm Buizel. I'm part of the-"

"Wait, wait, wait!" I interrupt once I notice the golden badge on the Buizel, bearing a 'ball-like object with wings' design just like Mac and Flaps' badges. "You're part of the Expedition Society, aren't you?"

"Uh… yes. I was just about to get to that," Buizel replies, sounding surprised at my sudden excitement. "Yes, I am from the Expedition Society. Who might you two be? I don't think I've seen you around Lively Town before…"

"I'm Indigo, and this is Fia." Indigo speaks up.

"Oh. Are you… a couple or something?"

 _WAIT WHAT NO NOT AGAIN_

I quickly turn away, starting to feel flustered.

"You'd… uh… be surprised how many people think that…" Indigo says, sounding just as flustered as I am. "But we're just friends."

"Oh… heh… apologies for the misunderstanding…" Buizel says, putting a paw to the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "It's just that you've been holding hands ever since I saw you two…"

"That's right! Our hands are actually stuck!" I respond, shaking off my embarrassment. "Let's not bother asking how! The Expedition Society has a nurse or doctor or medic, right? We need help!"

"Oh… oh! Yeah, we have a medic who can help!" Buizel says, motioning for us to follow him to a path to the north. "Here, the Expedition Society is this way!"

As me and Indigo start following Buizel, I marvel at the sight of the many house-like structures lined up at the path's sides as Indigo adjusts his bag's strap with his free paw.

"Here we are… this is it!" Buizel says, stopping to let us take in the scenery in front of us.

Me and Indigo then gaze towards the large building in front of us in awe. The wide section with the open entranceway, the two smaller sections on the side, and the large extension on top makes it all look like some sort of castle.

 _Whoa… So cool…_

"Oh… wow…" Indigo remarks. "How… the heck did I not notice this the second I stepped foot in this town?"

"Heh, impressive right?" Buizel responds proudly. "Now come on, let's head in."

We then head in through the open entranceway to find ourselves in what looks like a large room for a meeting area. There we see Ampharos talking to an Archen.

"There he is," Buizel says. "Now… I'll be heading out."

Buizel then leaves, leaving me and Indigo to overhear Ampharos' conversation with the Archen.

"I'm telling you Archen, both you _and_ Flaps are essential to the team," Ampharos says, sounding somewhat supportive. "Flaps isn't… very bright… at all… so while he can fly, he doesn't possess the knowledge about aerial flight that you have."

The Archen lets out a sigh, presumably in relief, right as Ampharos turns to face me and Indigo with an amused look.

"Ah! So you've finally managed to reach here, Fia," Ampharos greets. "And I see you've brought your Riolu friend, too!"

"We reached an agreement," I say with a proud grin. "He'll be joining me!"

"Excellent!" He responds. "Now that you're here, would you like me to show you around, or…"

"Actually… we need help," Indigo speaks up. "Our hands are actually stuck, so…"

"Oh! If that's the case, then follow me!" Ampharos says, motioning for us to follow him up a set of stairs ahead. "We have a doctor on the second floor who I'm sure will be of assistance!"

"Yes! Finally!" I say, cautiously following Ampharos up the stairs while trying not to trip. "No offense Indigo, it's not that I don't enjoy holding hands with you or anything, but I'd like to be able to run on my own again…"

"Don't worry, I understand…" He replies. "This whole prolonged hand holding is starting to feel awkward…"

"Here we are, the second floor!" Ampharos says, leading us up to another rather large room, except this one has some sort of large holographic globe at its center.

"So… where do we go from here?" Indigo asks.

"Well, you see, the path right of this room is a short hallway with several rooms to its side," Ampharos answers. "You'll know what room to enter when you see it. You'll be able to find your help in there."

"Got it." Indigo responds.

"Good. Now, if you excuse me, I need to go check with our chef to make sure our inventor's assistant isn't stealing Apples from her." Ampharos says, starting to walk off.

 **Indigo's POV**

 _Okay… it should be this door right here…_

I open a door bearing a sign of a first-aid kit at the end of the hallway and enter it with Fia to see a Clawitzer inside, holding a book with its smaller claw.

"Oh! Velcome!" The Clawitzer, male, says in an accent, noticing us and putting the book on a desk. "I assume you two are new here? Did ze Chief allow you in here?"

"Yes… yes he did." I say, walking into the room and looking at the bookshelves and desks.

"Vell, I am Dr. Ludwig, and I am ze Expedition Society's doctor! You can just call me Ludwig, though," The Clawitzer says, lowering his head in what I assume is a courtly bow. "Don't vorry, this giant claw isn't just for ze hurting, but it can also be used for ze healing! So, vat assistance do you require?"

"Our hands are stuck." Fia speaks up, holding up both of our stuck hands.

"It happened because of a Force Palm." I add.

"I see… interesting…" Ludwig says, approaching us and looking closely at our stuck hands, stroking the lower part of his face with his smaller claw. "Vell… I don't think a Heal Pulse vill fix zis… I'm going to have to use some Cheri Berry ointment!"

Ludwig then looks over to a shelf of jars elevated over his desk. He then turns back to face us.

"Cheri Berry ointment… vich I don't have! I'll have to go get some Cheri Berries to make some!" Ludwig says, starting to hover past us and towards the door, picking up a bag. "Vell, I'm sorry, whoever you two are. I should have that ointment ready by… tomorrow!"

"Wait… tomorrow?!" I yell.

"Yes! Make yourselves comfortable until zen!" Ludwig says just as he leaves. "Don't touch any of my books, though!"

The door then shuts as Ludwig leaves, leaving me and Fia alone in silence.

"So… uh… what now-"

I cut myself off when I see Fia pull a book from a shelf using a vine.

"Hmm… 'The Ice That Melted My Heart'... sounds boring," She says, eyeing the book cover for a few seconds before tossing it away. She then gets another book. "Okay… 'The Last Waterbender'... with a Ralts as a main character… nah."

"Hey, hey, wait!" I say, managing to use my free paw to catch the books Fia's tossed. "We aren't supposed to touch Ludwig's books!"

"'Canvas Covered Arteries'? Come on, does this guy have _any_ good books?" Fia tosses another book, and I almost trip as I catch it. She then turns to face me. "Oh? Did you say something, Indigo?"

"Let's… just leave," I say, carefully putting the books down on the nearest desk. "Leave before anything… else happens."

I carefully open the door and the two of us make our way back to the center of the area to see a grumbling Sandslash heading up the stairs to the third floor.

"Wait a second… did that Sandslash have blue eyes?" I comment. "I'm not seeing things, right?"

"You're not seeing things…" Fia replies.

We then notice Ampharos head up the stairs to the second floor and approaches us upon seeing us.

"Ah, Fia and Indigo! So you're back from Ludwig's room!" He greets us. "How'd it go?"

"He didn't have any Cheri Berry ointment to unstick us…" I say. "He said he'd have it ready by tomorrow…"

"Oh. Perhaps that explains why he headed out of the building in a rush…" Ampharos responds. He then starts shaking his head. "Well… how unfortunate. But… since you have nowhere else to go, you are very welcome to have lunch with us here. I'm actually planning to hold your registration event there."

"Registration? Finally!" Fia says. I start to feel my stuck hand bob up and down as she hops excitedly. "When's lunch?!"

"I could do with some lunch too…" I speak up, recalling how I didn't get to eat any Apples ever since I woke up.

"Hmm…" Ampharos then pulls out an Expedition Gadget (at least that's what I remember Mac calling it) from a bag he's been carrying and looks at its screen. "Lunch begins… now, actually! Okay, you two! Follow me! I'll show you where the dining room is!"

 **A few minutes later, Dining Room, Fia's POV**

After Ampharos led us back to the first floor and to the path right of the large meeting area, we find ourselves in a large dining room, with stools situated by a long rectangular dining table strewn with dishes of Oran Berries, Apples, some donut-shaped foods, and some sort of multicoloured oval-shaped foods.

Me and Indigo take our seats next to each other, pushing our seats closer to each other because of our stuck hands. I notice Ampharos take a seat at the front of the table while the blue-eyed Sandslash from earlier and a Swirlix sit across from me and Indigo, looking excited to eat.

"And now we wait…" I hear Ampharos say.

We then all our turn our heads to the dining room's entrance when we hear the sound of light footsteps to see a Dedenne rush into dining room, taking a seat near Ampharos.

"Okay, Chief! I contacted everyone outside through their Expedition Gadgets!" The Dedenne says in a squeaky female voice. "They should be back any time now!"

Then, as if on cue, several other Pokémon start heading into the room. A Bunnelby, a Mawile, the Buizel from before, the Archen, a Jirachi, Mac, and Flaps start taking their seats, with Buizel sitting beside Indigo, Mac sitting beside me, and the Mawile sitting opposite of Ampharos. Ludwig then enters the room last, taking the last empty seat.

"Apologies for my lateness, everyone," He says. "I just got back from ze Kecleon Shop…"

"Finally!" The Sandslash cries out in a somewhat immature female voice. "Can we eat now?"

"Not just yet," Ampharos speaks up. "Everyone, in case you haven't noticed, we have two new recruits here today. The Snivy is named Fia while the Riolu is named Indigo. I'd like you all to introduce yourselves so we can get to the recruitment ceremony. Also please don't make any assumptions about them, an incident led to their hands being stuck. I'll start with my introduction. I am Ampharos, founder of the Expedition Society, but I'd like to be referred to as Chief, or if you'd like, the Dashing Wanderer!" He then takes a proud pose, raising an arm to the air. "Place to place I'll go, regardless of my terrible sense of direction! That, and one way or another, I _am_ dashing."

"I'm Mawile, co-founder of the Society and the Chief's right hand Pokémon," The Mawile says in a mature female voice. "I'm also quite the expert in doing research regarding ancient legends and all that stuff. Though… this usually leads to me being cooped up in my room."

"My name's Archen," The Archen says in a dignified male voice. "Even though I'm a Flying type with wings who can't fly _yet,_ I possess the expertise of aerial exploration here."

"I'm Bunnelby," The Bunnelby says in a perky male tone. "With my ears that are great for digging and fighting, my expertise is land and underground explorations!"

"You already know me, but I might as well introduce myself again," Buizel says. "I'm Buizel, and I'm an expert and underwater explorations! My two spinning tails allow me to be at my fastest when I'm underwater!"

"I'll go ahead and introduce myself again as vell," Ludwig says. "I am Dr. Ludwig, or just Ludwig, ze Expedition Society's medic! Not only can zis big claw of mine shoot powerful blasts of water, but it can also use Heal Pulse to heal you during your times of need! I can also use my smaller claw to perform precise operations like surgery should ze need arise."

"Dedenne here!" The Dedenne speaks up. "I'm the communications expert! With the antenna-like whiskers on my cheeks, I can emit special electrical waves that allow me to speak to you directly through your Expedition Gadgets and vice-versa! Due to this, I don't have a Gadget of my own, but even then! My special electrical waves are comparable to that of telepathy waves!"

"I'm Swirlix!" The Swirlix says in a cheerful female voice. "Some might call me the weakest member of the Society in terms of combat, but my sweet tooth makes up for it by allowing me to be an excellent chef! Just you see! In fact, the meals I cook are so good that not even _I_ can resist eating them!"

"I… I'm Jirachi," The Jirachi says in a sleepy male voice. "I'm the Society's inventor, and I like sleeping. You see the holographic globe on the second floor? I built that. From the badges to the Expedition Gadgets, all that stuff was invented by the genius that is yours truly! I've made more stuff too!"

"I'm Sammy!" The blue-eyed Sandslash says excitedly. "I'm Jirachi's assistant! And I like Apples! Okay, I'm done, can we eat now-"

"Nope, nope, nope," Jirachi interrupts, using Psychic to stop Sammy from lunging at the food on the table. "Ahem. I'll continue for her. While Sammy here may seem immature and… clumsy at times due to her claws making her unable to hold many things properly, she's actually quite skilled with piecing certain parts together to make something functional and practical! That and she lives by a principle that inspired the inventing of the Connection Orb! Quite capable for a newly recruited member… at least, she used to be the newest member until…"

"I'll take it from here," Mac speaks up, adjusting his glasses. "You two already know me. I'm Macadamio, or Mac for short, and the jittery Fletchling whose pupils can't stay straight is Flaps. The two of us were actually the newest members of the Society until you two arrived. Believe it or not, I'm actually the 'tough guy' of the group. This green wooden shell that covers my head and back is so thick that you can have a Goodra hit my shell with a fully wound up punch and I won't even feel it! I can even harden the quills on my shell to the point where they can pierce stone!"

"I… I-I-I am Flaps!" Flaps yells, his sudden screech almost making me jump. "... Foooooooood!"

"Nope," Mac says, blocking Flaps off from the table. "I'll just introduce him for you. He's Flaps, or as Ludwig likes to call him sometimes, 'Archimedes', and he's been my companion in joining the Society. He's… not right in the head… at all. I don't know how he ended up like this, but despite this and his tendency to crash during our flights, I still like to call him my friend. Heck, I think he even considers me a friend since my name is the only other one he knows other than his and the Chief's."

"That should be everyone!" Me and Indigo then turn our heads to see Ampharos approaching us, holding a box. "Now, if one of you would please open this box…"

 _Finally… that series of introductions felt like it took forever…_

"I got it!" I speak up, using my vines to put the box onto the table.

 _It's finally time… it's really time!_

Excitement builds up inside of me as I decide to use my free hand to lift the box's lid. With the lid gone, me and Indigo peer inside to see two golden badges, two bags, two rolled-up maps, and two of those Bronzor-shaped devices.

"Yes!" I cry out excitedly as I take a badge out of the box using a vine and pin it to my Harmony Scarf. I notice Indigo do the same with his badge.

"Looks like it's official!" Ampharos says, back on his seat and smiling at us. "Fia and Indigo, you two are now official members of the Expedition Society! Welcome aboard!"

I resist the urge to scream with glee as everyone else in the room cheers for us.

"Can we finally eat yet?!" Sammy, now back on her seat, yells once the cheers die down.

"The smell of my own cooking is _killing_ me!" Swirlix adds.

"Okay, okay, we can eat now." Ampharos announces.

Even louder cheers start to fill the room as everyone starts grabbing platters of food and digging in. Meanwhile me and Indigo find ourselves surprised at how hasty everyone else is.

 _Well… I better start eating before all the food's gone…_

Using a vine, I quickly get a bag, a map, and a device as Indigo gets the other device with his free paw. I then put the lid back on the box and put it on the ground next to me, using my other vine to pull a plate of cooked Oran Berries towards me. I take a bite.

 _Mmm… this is good… almost as good as Pops' Oran Berry stew…_

I then glance to my right to see Indigo trying to reach for a plate of those multicoloured oval things, but the plate is just a bit too far away from his paw. I use a vine to push the plate to him.

He looks to me and smiles.

"Thanks."

"No problem," I smile back, bringing my vine to his side of the table. "Here. You can go toss my vine at a plate in case you want me to pull it towards you or for anything else you'd need help with."

I then go back to eating my plate of Oran Berries. Shortly afterwards, I feel my vine being picked up by Indigo. I then continue eating as I wait for it to be tossed.

A few seconds later, my vine is still being held and not tossed.

 _Okay… what's up with this?_

I quickly look towards Indigo and widen my eyes in shock at what I see.

"Are you… kissing my vine?!" I yell, quickly withdrawing my vine and flailing it.

"W-What?! No I'm not!" He yells back, looking just as shocked as I am. "I'm just using it to wipe my mouth!"

"Why?!"

"There aren't any tissues here!" He responds.

"But-"

"Are you going to finish that?!" I hear Swirlix yell, looking at my plate of Oran Berries.

"Why yes! Yes I will!" I reply, turning back to my plate of Oran Berries and stuffing a few of them in my mouth.

 _Now… where was I?_

 _Oh. Right…_

I glance over to Indigo to see him now occupied with eating his platter of food.

 _I… should just stop worrying about this… I guess I overreacted… that and I can't really yell anymore now that I stuffed my face with Oran Berries…_

I then look over to my vine to see that there's still some bits of food juice on it.

 _I need to clean that up…_

I quickly bring the vine to my mouth and start to lick it clean.

 _Wait a second…_

Right as I lick the last bit of juice off, my eyes widen in shock as I realize something. I quickly look around and sigh with relief when I find out nobody's noticed me, especially Indigo.

 _I'll… just forget I did that…_

I go back to eating my Oran Berries in silence, trying to forget the memory of where the bits of food juices came from.

 **Later, Indigo's POV**

I sigh once I finish the last bit on food on my plate, feeling stuffed and tired.

"Well… that was great…" I say. "Wait… where'd everyone go?"

"They left when you weren't looking," Ampharos, the only one who's still in the room, says to us. "Jirachi and Sammy went back to their room on the third floor, Swirlix went to the room ahead to wash the dishes, and everyone else went out."

"Oh… so… where do _we_ go?" Fia asks.

"It took you quite a long time to get here to Lively Town, right?" Ampharos says, approaching us. "Well, how about you two go get some rest at the rooms? You must be tuckered out, after all…"

"But… our hands are still stuck…" I protest, suddenly feeling flustered. "Are suggesting we… rest together?"

"Sure," Ampharos responds. "Why not?"

"Because-"

"Not another word," Ampharos cuts Fia off. "That was rhetorical. You two are now Expedition Society members, are you not? That means that I can command you now! And I say you go get some rest!"

Me and Fia are silenced by Ampharos' sudden tone, and we both look down.

"Y-Yes, Chief…" We both say quietly.

"Good. The rooms are in the hallway to the _left_ of the meeting area," Ampharos says, leading us out. "Just make you sure you lock the door after yourselves. Can't have anyone walk in on you, after all!"

 _Uh… wait… why did Ampharos word that last phrase like that?_

Before I could get a chance to ask Ampharos, he's already walked away and out of sight.

"Well… looks like we're resting…" I say in defeat.

"I got the box…" Fia says, pulling the box towards us with a vine. "There's still stuff in it, after all…"

"Let me get that." I say, picking up the surprisingly light box with my free paw.

The two of us then head to the hallway Ampharos mentioned and enter a door to find a large, open, empty circular room with a window opposite the door… that is, empty except for a large pile of straw at one of the room's corners. I set the box down as I notice Fia close the door and lock it with her vines.

"I'll go ahead and use my vines to make our beds too…" Fia says. I can tell from her surprisingly quiet tone that she's still feeling awkward about the whole resting thing.

 _I don't blame her…_

While Fia sets her own bag down and readies the straw beds, I decide to go see what else is in the box.

 _Let's see… there's still a bag… probably for me since Fia already got hers… but I already have one of my own… there's two maps… but I still have my own map while Fia… wait, I still have her map in my bag, don't I? I forgot about that… Anyways… other than these maps… there's… another piece of paper?_

I pick up the paper and start to unroll it.

' _Expedition Gadget Instruction Manual - Written and put together by the genius that is me!'_ I manage to see the paper's title.

I continue unrolling the paper to see that it's almost reached the floor.

 _Oh… this… is a big paper… I'll have to go read the table of contents…_

"Let's see…" I say aloud, panning my eyes across the list. "How about 'Advanced Functions'? Wait a second… How does a single piece of paper have a table of contents?"

"Well… technically it is still a _table_ of contents," Fia says to me, still getting to work making the beds with her vines. "More of a list, actually, but nothing about its says anything about it _having_ to show you where it is."

"Good point…" I say, scanning the paper for the 'Advanced Functions' section. "Alright, here it is… I'll read it…"

" _The Expedition Gadget can do a ton of things on its own, such as the whole Connection Orb stuff covered previously, but if you attach your badge to the blue orb at the bottom of the device, not only will you be able to personalize your Expedition Gadget, but you'll be able to access even more features! You'll be able to use the same voice recording feature the badge has, see the data of other team members their badges have scanned, and use the Expedition Gadget as a camera with the badge's tiny screen as a lens!"_

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, a _camera?"_ Fia cuts me off, her excited tone picking up once again. "I wanna have a picture taken! Come on Indigo, take a picture of us! I'll get the straw beds ready so the picture will look good!"

"Uh… okay! Give me a second…" I say, using my free paw to hastily set the paper down on the ground and pick up the Expedition Gadget from my bag. I then set the device down, get the badge from my scarf and pin it to the blue orb at the bottom of the Expedition Gadget. "Okay… it's starting up…"

The blue screen at the middle of the device lights up and I see words appear on it. I pick it up and place it on my stuck hand.

' _Booting up… scanning badge data…'_

' _Scan complete. User detected as Indigo the Riolu. Recruited four minutes ago.'_

"Wow… I'm already impressed seeing this technology in action…" I say. I then glance back at the paper on the ground. "Now… I should be at this menu with lots of options… check. I'll select this option on the screen… check. Gadget scanning for badge presence… check. And it's on!"

The screen then shifts to show me my face, and my eyes widen in surprise.

 _This screen must be showing what the badge is seeing…_

"Okay, Indigo! I got the beds ready!" Fia says, looking over to me. "Now we can get the beds in the background of the picture!"

I then glance over to the paper once more.

"All I have to do is touch the little icon on the bottom of the screen to take a picture… okay…" I say aloud. "So… Fia… do you just want me to take the picture right here right now, or…"

"Turn around!" She says, looking at the screen of my device.

I then turn around slowly, making sure to do it carefully so that we don't fall over.

"Stop!" Fia says, her eyes still fixed onto my Expedition Gadget's screen. "Okay… how about I hold it?"

"Uh… sure…" I say, letting her grab the Expedition Gadget with a vine.

She then extends her vine so that Gadget's screen shows both of us entirely instead of just our heads.

"Okay…" She says, trying to keep her vine still. "Now we take a few steps back… stop!"

"Um… can we… take the picture now?" I speak up, stopping in place.

"Yes! Now… look at the lens… I want this picture to be perfect!" Fia says, her eyes now fixed on my badge on the device. "Okay, smile!"

I fix my eyes on the lens and try to let out the most natural smile I can muster. Shortly afterwards, the screen of the Expedition Society shows a closing camera shutter as a clicking noise plays. The shutter then opens to show our picture. Fia brings the device closer to us so we could get a closer look at it.

The window shining brightly behind us, the two neatly placed straw beds behind us, and our smiling faces. All the while, we're still holding hands.

"Wow… this is really good for our first picture," I say, amazed as I take the device back with my free paw. "Actually, it's really good on its own."

"I… almost forgot our hands were stuck…" Fia says, looking at the screen with me. "But oh well! I still like this picture! With this camera, now we have tons of memories we can preserve! I want that picture on my Gadget, too! Let me go get it from my bag so we can take the exact same picture…"

"Actually… I don't think that's necessary," I say, pressing an icon that's appeared on my screen. "Here we go."

' _Would you like to send this picture to Lively Town's Meowth Theater to get this photo printed and framed?'_ Words appear on the screen.

I press the 'yes' option.

' _Choose what shape and frame colour you'd like to have for the picture.'_

I then press the rectangle option and I'm brought to a selection of colours.

' _Now… what colour… green? Or… blue?'_

"Hey, Indigo? You done doing whatever you're doing with that?" Fia says as I press an option.

"Just got done," I say, looking back at Fia, then glancing back at my device. "The Expedition Gadget says that the picture should be printed out, framed, and sent to us by tomorrow."

"Okay, good!" Fia says, setting her bag down to one side of the room with her vines. "We should… go get some rest now. We don't want Ampharos to start hearing us not sleeping, after all…"

"Not going to argue with you on that point…" I say, putting my Expedition Gadget and the manual into my bag and tossing it to one side of the room.

The two of us then walk over to our beds and carefully lie down on them, but because of our hands being stuck, we're forced to end up facing each other.

 _Oh… great… not only does our stuck hands force us to have our beds unusually close, but we'll have to lie down facing each other…_

"Uh… this is awkward…" I say, trying my best not to make eye contact. "Should we just… close our eyes and try to sleep so it isn't as awkward?"

"Agreed… but we'll have to do it at the same time so it won't look like we're watching each other sleep…" Fia replies, sounding just as nervous as I am. "You… aren't going to try to watch me sleep, right?"

"That'd just make things even more weird… but… _you're_ not going to try to watch me sleep, right?" I say, getting even more nervous the more I think about it.

"N-No! Definitely not! C-Can we just sleep already?" She replies. "Come on… we'll close our eyes on three…. One… two… three!"

I immediately close my eyes as I see nothing but darkness and silence fills the room. Nothing but darkness and silence.

 _Come on… sleep…_

I then hear Fia take a deep breath and sigh.

"Is… something wrong?" I ask, my eyes still closed.

"No, no, I'm fine…" I hear her reply. "It's just… all this silence has gotten me thinking about how much of a crazy ride this day was…"

"Is… that a good thing?"

"Of course, silly!" I hear he say in that cheerful tone of hers. "While we did get our hands stuck, I finally got to become an official member of the Expedition Society! And I managed to bring you along with me, too!"

I smile.

"So… you don't mind us sleeping this close and in the same room?" I ask.

"Well… not anymore, since I remembered I kinda did that when I followed you to the clearing past Sheer Mountain Range last night… Oops."

 _Oh… uh… oooookay then…_

"But even then, I don't mind…" Fia continues. "After all, if I didn't do that, then I wouldn't have been able to bring you here with me… And I'd rather go through the trouble to bring you here with me rather than just join the Society on my own…"

"Wait… really? Am I… _that_ necessary?" I ask, surprised.

"You are my friend, after all! My closest one at that!" She responds. "I don't know what I'd do if you didn't join the Society with me!"

"Do you… like to think of us as a duo or something?" I ask. "Uh… not _that_ kind of duo, but you know what I mean…"

"Actually… now that you mention it, I do, actually!" She responds. "But now I think we should have a name…"

"Like… a personal duo or team name or something like that?" I ask. "Well… sure, why not?"

"Okay… this team name has to be good…" I hear Fia say. "Well… let's see… we managed to join the Expedition Society despite whatever doubts we've been having… and we've managed to overcome surprisingly overwhelming odds… so we need something to fit that!"

"I guess having a duo name that fits that theme would be nice…" I add. "After all, I'm sure many would expect the chances of some Riolu and Snivy kids joining the Expedition Society to be a longshot…"

"That's it! Our duo name could be Team Longshot!" I hear Fia say. "Yeah… I like it!"

"Well… that wasn't too hard. You sure are enthusiastic with all of this, aren't you?"

"Of course! I'm thrilled! I'm excited! I'm… happy…" I hear Fia say, starting to sound emotional. "I… never thought I'd make it this far… so quick… I'm… happy…"

"Well… I'm glad to be a part of that happiness…" I say.

At this point I've been starting to have the urge to pull her into a hug, but due to our stuck arms we can't really do that. One armed hugs would just seem awkward, so…

Instead, I slowly open my eyes to see Fia's closed ones starting to tear up with joy as I look at her smile. I use my free paw to carefully wipe her tears away.

 _Emotional Fia's back again…_

However, my gesture causes her to immediately open her eyes, surprising me as she gives me a playful glare.

"Aha! So you _were_ trying to watch me sleep!"


	13. 13: Familiar Faces

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 13 - Familiar Faces**

 **Somewhere in the middle of the ocean, ?'s POV**

I yawn as I look up to see the sun rising in the orange sky. I rub my eyes with a paw as I get up on all fours on a large purple shell.

 _It's… still not time yet…_

I look over to our ride to see that she's still wide awake.

 _She really knows how to stay awake… I know Lapras said his sister takes Pokémon around places, but I didn't know she'd go this far…_

 _But I guess that's a good thing. I can't ask Lapras himself for a ride to this continent since he's… well…_

I shake my head and snap out of my thoughts, not wanting to recall that memory.

"Still awake?" I ask Lapras' sister, whose name is also Lapras for some reason.

"I am, Shinx… though I am getting tired… good thing we're almost there…" She replies, looking back at me. "That Manaphy of yours is still awake, too… though I shouldn't be surprised, since she has the resilience of a Mythical Pokémon and all…"

I glance over to the water to my left to see Mana swimming right by our side, her eyes fixed ahead and focusing on swimming straight.

 _Okay… I guess I woke up a bit too early… but at least Lapras said we're almost there…_

I then face ahead and squint to see a large area in the distance, with a lighthouse-like landmark standing out.

 _If I remember correctly, that lighthouse should be our destination…_

I adjust my bag's strap as I look over at Violet, still sound asleep beside me as I get a good look of her orange fur with the sun rays now visible. I then look behind me to see Chimecho and Chime asleep together, with the latter still having that sickly look on his face. I frown, worry coming back to me.

 _I… hope this place we asked Lapras to take us to is the right place… That one area in the Water Continent is where Ninetales' vision told us to go, after all… I forgot its name… but still… Even if the directions the vision gave us were very vague… I just hope whatever happens there helps us with Chime's condition… We even went through the trouble to send a job request letter there like the vision said and everything…_

 _Chime better get better… Not even Chimecho could cure him of whatever he caught after that battle against Darkrai…_

 _What did that Chingling even do which gave him some incurable Darkrai-induced disease, anyway?_

I sigh.

 **Indigo's POV**

I find myself in some sort of large area. I look around me to see to try to make out my surroundings, but no matter how much I blink or squint, I see nothing but blurry figures around me.

 _Okay… come on… where am I?_

I continue to look around the area, desperately trying to make out my surroundings. I close my eyes and try to focus.

I start to hear the sounds of busy civilization. Busy civilization just like Lively Town, except made up of noises that sound… much more familiar to me for some reason.

 _I'm… hearing voices from around me, too… not any I'm familiar with, though…_

I open my eyes to see that the blurry mess has been slightly cleared up, but still somewhat blurry. However, I manage to make out several figures walking past me. Figures… much taller than me. Wearing… clothes.

 _Wait one second… humans?_

I then look down at myself to see that I'm still a Riolu, paws and all.

 _I'm… back in the human world, right? But… how? And why am I still a Riolu?_

My thoughts are then interrupted when I hear a voice calling out to me. I turn around to see the source of the voice being a human behind me.

 _That voice… why do I feel like I've heard it before? Not like a 'distant familiar memories' type of familiarity… but it's as if I heard that voice yesterday…_

The human then snaps me out of my thoughts as he calls out to me once again, motioning for me to follow him.

 _Wait! I still have questions!_

I attempt to call out back to the human, but all that comes out is a raspy bark.

 _Come on… why can't I speak?!_

Panic starts to rise within me as more questions pop up in my head. The panic gets even worse when I see a beam of light heading my way and engulfing me.

I then find myself in darkness.

A large, quiet area of darkness. Eerie, echoing silence.

Distant beeping noises start to reach my ears, but I can't determine the source of the sound.

 _Where is that coming from?!_

The rapid barrage of unanswered matters start to make me panic even more. Panic to the point where I curl up in fear and close my eyes.

 _Stop it, stop it, stop it!_

The beeping just gets even louder. The noise starts to ring and echo in my ears.

And then a voice calls out to me.

"Indigo… go get it…"

I open my eyes to find myself face-to-face with Fia, who yawns as the bright rays of morning sun shine down on the two of us from our open window.

 _Oh… right… we had to sleep like this because our hands are still stuck…_

I sigh with relief when I realize that I'm lying down on the straw bed in one of the Expedition Society's guest rooms.

 _Looks like everything from before was just a dream… but… why do I still hear the beeping?_

"So… uh… Fia…" I speak up, realizing we're still lying down face to face. "Did you have a good slee-"

"Indigo…" She groans, looking at me with her sleepy half-closed eyes. "You silly… blue-furred… deep sleeper you… go get the beeping…"

"I… uh… wanted to ask you how your sleep was, but okay then… Why are you even talking like that?" I ask, letting out a yawn. "And… what beeping are you talking about?"

" _That_ beeping, you silly… silly… Riolu…" She responds, using her free hand to point to something behind me.

I slowly get up and stretch, managing to move my arms due to Fia still being limp and sleepy. With Fia still hanging off of my stuck paw and now being gently dragged across the ground, I look over to where she pointed at my bag lying on the floor, the beeping coming from something inside of it.

 _So that's where that beeping has been coming from…_

I slowly open my bag and take out the source of the beeping; my Expedition Gadget. As I wipe my eyes, I notice some words on the lit up screen.

" _Voice message received."_

" _Urgency: To the point where the Expedition Gadget would constantly beep until answered."_

" _Message source: Ludwig's Expedition Gadget."_

I press a button on the Gadget and I hear Ludwig's voice come out from it.

"Hello, _kamerads!_ Zis should be ze Riolu's Expedition Gadget, right?" He greets with that accent of his, sounding perky. "I tried to come to the room ze Chief told me you were, but it appears zat ze door is locked! And I have your Cheri Berry ointment, too! So if you'd like to come get yourselves unstuck, zen you better come to ze meeting area! It's just outside ze guest rooms! And you better hurry, because by the time you get zis message, ze morning briefing should already be starting!"

"Wait… what?!" I hear Fia yell as she snaps out of her drowsiness, standing up straight with her expression perking up. "Come on, Indigo! We need to get to the meeting area right now!"

"Uh… okay!" I say, hastily putting the Expedition Gadget back into my bag and wearing the bag's strap.

Fia then gets her own bag with her vines and the two of us carefully make our way to the door and head out. We head towards the large meeting room to see all of the other Expedition Society members waiting there, with Ampharos standing in front of them.

"Finally, I vas vaiting for you to come here!" Ludwig says to us as we join him. He then takes out a little tube with some sort of berry substance out of his bag. "I finally got ze ointment ready! Though… I still don't understand vhy you'd bother vaiting an entire day for zis ointment vhen I could've just used my giant claw to amputate your arms right zen and zere!"

"Just… give us the ointment please…" I say.

"Fine, fine, here!" He replies, using his smaller claw to remove the cork from the tube and pours the liquid inside on my stuck paw.

I start to feel the grip keeping my paw and Fia's hand stuck begin to loosen, and I finally manage to withdraw my paw as Fia withdraws her hand.

"About time!" Fia says excitedly. "Now I can run around all I want!"

"Finally… even though my arm's still sore… at least it's not stuck anymore… Thanks, doctor." I say.

"You're velcome… anyways, since I decided to buy plenty of Cheri Berries, I've gotten myself extra portions of ointment, so I decided to bring you zis!" Ludwig responds, taking out _another_ tube of the berry substance. "Here is an extra tube of ze ointment for you, just in case something like zis happens again!"

"Oh… wow… thanks again." I say, accepting the tube and putting it into a secure pouch section in my bag.

"... Very well, everyone! Let's do our best out there again today!" I hear Ampharos say from the front of the room in a rallying tone.

"Yeah!" Everyone else says, sounding motivated as they all leave through the building's entrance, except Jirachi, Sammy, and Swirlix who all head to different areas of the building.

"Oh! Looks like ze morning briefing is over vith!" Ludwig says, perking up as he starts heading towards the stairway to the second floor. "I'd better be going now! Jirachi should be done repairing my glasses!"

"So… now what do we do, Indigo?" Fia asks me. "We _are_ Expedition Society members after all! Exploring mystery dungeons? Solving mythical legends? Rescue Pokémon in need? What do we do?"

"Well… uh… I don't know…" I say, somewhat overwhelmed by the several choices Fia mentioned.

 _As much as I'd like to help Fia solve some ancient questions about legends… I still have plenty of questions about myself to answer… especially since that dream of mine reminded me I can't put my paw on it, but something about that dream felt… important… and… familiar for some reason..._

 _Was it a sign?_

 _Or is my mind being irrational again?_

 _And I thought my mind would stop this irrationality after I randomly started wondering where Mac got his glasses…_

"Fia! Indigo! Would you two please come over here?" Ampharos calls out to us, motioning us towards him. "There's something I'd like to tell the two of you."

"Um… sure…" I say as Fia and I walk up to him. "What do you want to tell us?"

"Well, now that you two are ready and fit for exploring now that your hands are free, I figured it's time to start your first official exploration since I already showed you around the building after your little rest nap yesterday," Ampharos says to us. "But first, do you mind if you two go exploring together so it'll be easier for me to manage jobs for you two?"

"I… guess I'm fine with it," I answer. I then turn to face Fia. "Fia?"

"Sure, sure!" She replies, still hopping with excitement. "So, what do you want us to do, Chief?"

"I'm here to tell you about the Connection Orb. Would you two please take out your Expedition Gadgets please?" Ampharos asks, making me and Fia do just that. "Once you're brought to the home menu, you should see an option that says 'Connection Orb'. Kindly select it."

I select the option, and the screen shifts to the image of a giant blue transparent globe. Several images of Pokémon start to appear on it.

 _Oh… wow… what's all this?_

"Whoa…" I glance at Fia to see that her amazed look. "So… what's the point of this option again? To look at Pokémon?"

"That's not its original purpose, at least. You see, through Jirachi's genius of having the Expedition Gadget connect with letters sent to everyone's favorite Pelipper Post Office, every request letter sent to the Post Office will appear as a pending request on the Connection Orb! Ah, the wonders of technology!" Ampharos replies, sounding proud. "Doing a job request acquaints the Expedition Society to the Pokémon, which you should be able to see if you poke around the options a little bit. A good deed done earns a lot of gratefulness in return, after all! Jirachi told me that very feature was inspired by a certain principle Sammy lives by!"

"So… our job for today is to do one of these requests, right?" I ask, pressing an option to see a list of pending exploration requests.

"You certainly know how to catch on!" Ampharos says to me with a smile. "Yes, that is what you're supposed to do today. Just make sure you don't end up picking a mission leading you to a difficult dungeon, alright? Can't have you ending up in Ludwig's Emergency Room after your first official Expedition Society exploration, after all. And don't forget to report back here after your exploration!"

"Right, right!" Fia speaks up excitedly, putting her Expedition Gadget back into her bag as she grabs my paw. "Let's get going, Indigo!"

"Uh… okay!" I say, surprised. "Um… bye Ampharos!"

As Ampharos calls back out to us as well, Fia drags me out of the Society and through the wide path leading to it to have us end up at Lively Town's plaza, Pokémon citizens still passing by.

"Okay, Indigo!" Fia says, letting go of my hand and turning to face me as she takes a stance of authority. "This is our first day to go exploring as official Expedition Society members, so let's this day a good one! You go pick out a mission for us while I go to the Kecleon Shop to get some items for myself!"

"Alright then…" I say, taking out my Expedition Gadget. "Wait… don't you need that Poké currency or whatever to get items there?"

"Exactly!" She replies, having already used her vines to take a small sack of the coins out of my bag while I wasn't looking. "Now go find us a mission, I got some Wands and Seeds to buy!"

As Fia walks off with my sack of Poké, I select the 'Connection Orb' option on my Expedition Gadget and am once again brought back to the transparent globe with Pokémon images.

 _Now let's see what I can do here… 'Society Acquaintances'? No, no, wrong menu… 'Pending Requests'? Here we go…_

I select an option and my device brings me to menu showing me a list of requests and the Pokémon who requested them.

 _Let's see… 'Apple wanted, please help' sent by a Munchlax… wait, that request is from a Pokémon that isn't even on the Water Continent. Uh… 'Help me, I'm drowning- on second thought don't help me' sent by a Flareon… I… don't even know if I can swim._

I continue scrolling through the list of requests, struggling to find one to take.

 _Come on… I need to find an easy one… All these ones look hard… Hard to the point where I don't even understand how these Pokémon in need are able to send a letter to this Pelipper Post Office place from_ _ **within**_ _the very mystery dungeon they need help in! Heck, how does a Pokémon even send a letter_ _ **while drowning?!**_ _It's ridiculous!_

My attention is then caught when I see an icon of one of the Pokémon sending the request.

 _Okay… why does this Wooper have a top hat? Well, I guess if this hat was enough to catch my attention, I might as well check out this Wooper's request._

 _It's another one of those rescue in a mystery dungeon ones… except this Wooper sent this request to ask for someone to help with his Gligar friend who's stuck in this mystery dungeon called Serpentine Mountain Trail…_

Using my other paw, I carefully take my map out of my bag and look at it.

 _That place isn't that far… We should just take a different turn on the way back to Gentle Slope Cave and we'll be there…_

I put the map back into my bag and select the Wooper's request with my paw. Words appear on the screen.

" _Accept request?"_

I select the 'yes' option.

" _A notification will be sent to the requester via Pelipper Post Office. Expect the Wooper to be here waiting for you in the plaza when you're finished."_

 _You know what, I'm not even going to bother questioning how this little device can pull that off… Technology advancements are weird._

I select the 'Off' option on my Gadget, making its screen go back to being blank and transparent. I take my badge off of the lower blue orb of the device and pin it back to my scarf.

"Hey Indigo!" Fia calls out to me, running back to me with my sack of Poké. "I finished buying items! Did you pick out a request yet?"

"I did," I answer, taking the sack of Poké. I notice that it feels lighter than before as I put it back into my bag. "We're going to Serpentine Mountain Trail to help out a Wooper's Gligar friend."

"Serpentine Mountain Trail, ooh! I'm a serpent-like Pokémon, right?" She asks, still sounding as excited as usual. "That place's name is just _screaming_ for me to go there! Lead the way, Indigo!"

 _Wait… lead the way? Huh… kick me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the first time Fia ever actually asked me to lead her at all…_

 _Help I don't know what to make of this I don't think I've ever lead anyone before on their request uhhhhhh_

…

 _COME ON INDIGO DO SOMETHING YOU CAN'T JUST STAND THERE WITH YOUR MOUTH OPEN IN SILENCE AND ALL THAT_

"Um… sure…" I respond hesitantly, taking my map out of my bag with one paw and instinctively grabbing Fia's hand with the other.

I slowly walk over to Lively Town's entrance archway, still holding FIA's hand.

"... Indigo?" Fia asks me, breaking the awkward silence. "Is… something wrong? We aren't… running."

"Fia… uh…" I say, slowly turning to face her. "If you don't mind… can you please lead instead?"

"Oh? You want me to… lead?" Fia asks, raising an eyebrow at me. Her serious expression then quickly changes to her usual cheerful smile. "Well, sure! I don't know why you'd want me to, silly, but if you say so!"

I sigh with relief as Fia walks ahead of me, still holding my paw as she takes out her own map from her bag.

"Now let's see… there!" Fia speaks up, looking up from her map to point her hand towards the path leading past Lively Town's entrance archway. "The path to Serpentine Mountain Trail should be that way! Let's go, Indigo!"

I can't help but smile at her confidence and enthusiasm as she drags me off.

 _It's a good thing she stepped up for something I didn't think I could do…_

 _I really needed that, considering I have way too many things I'm worrying about in my mind… like my missing memories… and that stupid dream…_

 _But… do I even need to bother worrying about them? I… hope not. I don't want to have to make another stupidly drastic decision that Fia will probably talk me out of…_

My concerned frown then shifts to a faint smile.

 _I really have to admire Fia's dedication to keep me sticking around…_

 _She really is a great friend._

…

 _I'm being a great friend to her too, right?_

 _Okay, okay, that's enough, brain. I'd rather not add_ _ **that**_ _to my list of potential worries._

 **A few minutes later, Serpentine Mountain Trail, Fia's POV**

 _Whoa!_

I find myself reeling back towards the rock solid cave wall by a Vibrava's Bide attack.

 _Urgh… that hurt… looks like I shouldn't have tried to go all out on that Vibrava, especially since it was taking a defensive stance…_

 _Too bad I didn't buy a single Oran Berry using Indigo's Poké…_

I shake off the recoil of getting hit by the Bide attack and angrily stare at the Vibrava flying my way.

 _That's it… come closer, I dare you!_

The Vibrava continues speeding my way headfirst as it tucks in its wings, building up in speed as I continue focusing.

 _Any second now… come on, I can't let that Fly attack connect!_

 _Come on Glare… don't fail me now!_

I then notice jolts of electricity run through the Vibrava, paralyzing it.

 _Finally… that was getting dicey ther- wait a second, why is Vibrava's paralyzed figure still charging at me?!_

I find myself getting headbutted by the Vibrava, knocking the air out of me as I feel my back collide with the rock wall.

"Agh!" I cry out in pain, falling over onto the ground.

As I struggle to get up, I notice the paralyzed Vibrava who's fallen over beside me, still twitching.

 _Okay… for that… you're getting it!_

Using what strength I have left, I manage to concentrate and build up a Leaf Tornado attack on my tail. I slowly try to get up.

 _Let's finish thi-_

Before I could swing my tail at the Vibrava, the pain from before causes me to lose balance as I get up and I end up falling backward. I close my eyes, anticipating impact.

 _AAAAAAAAAAAAA- wait a second, why haven't I hit the ground yet?_

I open my eyes and quickly look around me to see that I'm hovering in the center of some sort of vortex of leaves. I widen my eyes in pleasant surprise.

 _No. Way. I'm in my Leaf Tornado?!_

I concentrate, and manage to make the Leaf Tornado hover me slightly upwards so I can get a peek over it.

 _I_ _ **am**_ _in my Leaf Tornado! Whoa… now… what can I do with this?_

An idea comes to me, and I smirk just thinking about it. I then concentrate, making my Leaf Tornado tilt downwards so that its opening is aimed towards the paralyzed Vibrava. I start to wrap vines around the top and bottom of my head in a way so that they look like a helmet.

 _Now… fire!_

I concentrate, making a forceful gust of wind push me out of the Leaf Tornado as it dissipates, sending me soaring towards the Vibrava headfirst. My soaring headbutt connects, sending me and the Vibrava soaring across the room until the Vibrava gets hit against a wall on the other side of the room, and we both fall over.

 _Whew… that… was… awesome! It's a good thing I came up with the idea of the vine helmet, too… I've lost a bit too much energy after getting hit by that Vibrava's Bide…_

As I remove the vine helmet from my head and tuck the vines back into the sides of my neck, the pain from the Vibrava's attacks come back to me, and I almost fall over once again.

 _Urgh… I need to ask Indigo for an Oran Berry…_

 _Wait a second… Indigo!_

I quickly look around the room to see him still fighting that hostile Hitmonlee, with his rapid Quick Attack blows being blocked by the Hitmonlee's swift Mach Punch strikes. I watch in awe as they both continue fighting speedy jab after speedy jab, right until I see nothing but blue and brown blurs rushing all over the place.

I abruptly blink, snapping myself out of that trance.

 _Whoa… that speed got me really dizzy all of a sudden…_

My attention is then caught when I finally make out the blurs to see Hitmonlee jumping towards Indigo, leg outstretched as dives at Indigo with a High Jump Kick from behind. Fortunately, before I could even muster up the voice to warn him, his dangle-thingies rise and he quickly turns around and takes a defensive stance by holding his arms in front of him, a red aura surrounding his body. The High Jump Kick connects with Indigo's arms and I hear him let out a grunt in pain, but after taking the blow, the red aura flows to his paws, which he uses to grab Hitmonlee's leg. He then spins Hitmonlee around a bit before slamming it into the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust.

 _Whoa… that was amazing! I didn't know Indigo could do that!_

I happily skip over to the dust cloud to see him slowly walking towards me, shaking off dust from his fur.

"Indigo, you were incredible!" I say to him, looking at him in awe. "I didn't know you could fight like that! You were moving so fast, too!"

"Uh… thanks…" He says, taking out an Oran Berry. "I guess it was about time I made the most of my Fighting type… though… all that speedy battling has tired me out big time…"

"Well… I am a bit tuckered out myself… I could go for an Oran Berry too."

"Here."

"Thanks." I say, accepting the Berry he's pulled out of his bag and biting into it.

"Did your battle go well?" He asks, biting into his berry.

"Oh! It did! I got to do something really cool with my Leaf Tornado!" I say. I then give Indigo a playful nudge. "But nowhere _near_ as cool as your fighting just now! It's as if you have _years_ of battling experience or something like that!"

"Well… yeah…" He says with a flattered look, putting a paw to his back as he lets out a slight chuckle. "Surprised me too… Except… I'm pretty sure I've only been a Riolu for a few days…"

"Oh… right… I almost forgot you used to be a human…" I say, letting out a sheepish chuckle as well. "We should really try to get some answers to that former human predicament of yours…"

"I know, right?" He replies, finishing his berry. "I… even had a dream involving what human memories I have…"

"Whoa, a dream? What happened in it?"

"Well… the only real thing I could make out from it was that I was back in the human world…" He replies, sounding deep in thought as he puts a paw to his chin. "That's all, really. Well, that, and the fact that for some reason I was still a Riolu…"

"How… peculiar…" I respond, finishing my berry. "Do you think it's a sign or something?"

"I do, actually… but… I still can't get any answers…" He says, starting to frown.

"Hey, come on, don't worry!" I reply. "Maybe… uh… I can help you! We can try… asking that Mawile Pokémon, right? She's smart because she said stuff about doing research, so…"

"I… don't think I'm ready to tell anyone else about what I know about my… origin species…" He responds. "You were surprisingly cool with it, but I don't think a Pokémon like Mawile would react the same way…"

"Oh! I know! Maybe we can go to one of those mythical or legend-worthy mystery dungeons!" I suggest.

"I'm… also not sure… it could be a difficult dungeon to traverse, but-"

Indigo then cuts himself off when his dangle thingies start to rise.

"Oh."

I then start to hear the sound of footprints and run away when I see a Heracross dash at Indigo horn-first.

"Indigo, look out!"

 **Indigo's POV**

Without wasting any time to look behind me, I jump out of the way before the Heracross behind me could run me through with the tips of its horn.

"Okay, that is the second time a hostile Pokémon has tried to impale me!" I yell. "This… really isn't my day…"

"Don't worry, I got this!" I hear Fia say as I look over to see her wearing a confident tone. She takes out a Seed from her bag and tosses it into her mouth.

"Wait, wait, Fia!" I yell, running over towards her. "You can't take that Heracross on, its a Bug type-"

I then cut myself off and widen my eyes when Fia opens her mouth to shoot _an intense stream of flame_ at the Heracross.

 _Okay… now I've seen everything._

The flame blast then engulfs the Heracross, pushing it back towards the wall. It then falls over onto the ground, badly charred. I'm left in awe.

"Fia… how-"

"I bought nothing but Blast Seeds and Blast Wands back in Lively Town," She says, standing up straight with a proud pose. "I bet you didn't expect that, now did ya?" Her proud look then shifts back to cautiousness. "Indigo, he's still up! Toss me a Focus Blast Alliance, I want to test something out!"

I quickly turn away from Fia to see the badly burned Heracross charging at us. Not wanting to waste any time, I ready a Focus Blast with my paw and concentrate, converting the blue orb of energy into a multicoloured one and throwing it Fia's direction.

 _I hope Fia knows what she's doing- WAIT WHAT'S SHE DOING FUSING MY FOCUS BLAST WITH THAT SEED_

I end up in awe, this time in shock instead of pleasant surprise as Fia tosses the Seed, which is now multicoloured from being fused with my Focus Blast, into her mouth. I then look over to the Heracross to see that it's still charging, this time pointing its horn Fia's direction. I duck, awaiting what extra powered blast of flame might come.

However, instead of the normal beam of orange flame from the Blast Seed, a bright white beam of blaze shoots out from Fia's mouth with an intensity that even I can feel from a distance. The bright white beam of flame blasts the Heracross right in the face, charring it even more and this time finally managing to knock it out.

"Okay… wow…" I say, standing back up. "I did not expect an Alliance Attack fused with a Blast Seed to do that."

"Looks like it was worth buying all those Blast items!" She says, taking that proud stance again.

"Wait… did you _only_ buy Blast Seeds and Blast Wands?" I ask.

"Yes… why?" She replies, looking clueless. Her expression then lights up with realization. "Oh! Right! I need an Oran Berry! You have one, right?"

"I do… but make sure to go get some berries for your bag later, alright?" I reply in a subtly careful tone, pulling out two Oran Berries and tossing one to Fia. "You can't always play your items on the offense, you know?"

"I can say the same with your items too, right?" She says, catching the Oran Berry with a vine and biting into it. "I mean, don't get me wrong, your punches and kicks and surprisingly lucky Focus Blasts work, but when they don't, you can't exactly stop a big threat by teleporting them away."

"You're… right, actually…" I reply with a smile, biting into my Oran Berry. "I guess I could get my Wand and use it as a club… Wait, now that I think about it, I can have Jirachi _make_ a modified Wand for me to use as a proper weapon, right?"

"I… think so," Fia looks up towards the high cave ceiling, appearing deep in thought. "I'm not sure though… maybe ask the Gligar behind you or something."

"Okay- wait what a Gligar?!"

I quickly jerk my head to turn around to see the Gligar bearing a cheeky yet mischievous grin, surprisingly close to me.

 _OKAY WHY THE HECK DIDN'T I SENSE THIS_

"Hi!" The Gligar says with a rough yet perky tone, sounding like a childish female. "Can I have an Oran Berry too?"

I quickly shake my head, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Uh… sure… here." I take an Oran Berry out of my bag and hand it to the Gligar, who carefully takes it with a pincer. "And… where did you come from?"

"I was hiding in a hole that I'm sure was hidden really well!" She replies, sounding proud of herself as she tosses the entire Oran Berry into her mouth. "At least… it was perfectly hidden until that Heracross fell on it. But anyway! You're here to bring me back, right?"

I immediately get to work fishing an Escape Orb out of my bag.

"We are. Let's go before another Heracross comes rushing at us."

 **A few minutes later, Lively Town's Plaza**

I watch as the Wooper and Gligar head off towards Lively Town's Cafe Connection, waiting.

 _You know… I never really did ever head to one of those cafes… I should really go there some time… it should still be open for a while since it's still early afternoon…_

I then glance over to see Fia walking my way, carrying a bunch of Seeds and Berries with her hands and vines.

"Oh… are they gone already?" She asks, using her vines to let me carry half of the pile. "Anyways… I bought extra items for the two of us… I used up all our Poké though…"

"It's… alright…" I reply with a slight grunt from the weight of the items as I slowly lay them down onto the ground and start to put them into my bag. "At least the both of us will be more equipped for mystery dungeons…"

"Anyway!" Fia says, starting to use her vines to put her pile of items into her own bag. "How about we go exploring some more?"

"Wait… again? But… we just got back from Serpentine Mountain Trail!" I protest. "Aren't we supposed to report back to Ampharos?"

"We still have time for another exploration! It's still a nice bright afternoon, after all!" She says, finishing putting her items into her bag as she pulls out her Expedition Gadget. She takes her badge from her scarf and pins it to her device. "Now let's see… which Pokémon here needs some help in a difficult looking dungeon?"

"Wait, a difficult dungeon? Why?"

"Difficult means it has a reputation! And if it has a reputation, it means it must be important!" She replies, her eyes still fixed onto her Gadget. "I want a more exciting adventure today! One in a mystery dungeon with a legend-like importance or something like that! Come on Indigo, think about it! We might learn more about your human origin if we go to a mystical place or something like that!"

I open my mouth to protest, but I quiet myself before I speak.

"You… uh… do have a point there… I'd really like to take any opportunity to get answers… But-"

"And done!" Fia suddenly cuts me off, putting her Expedition Gadget back into her bag. "I already picked out this mission from a Shinx who needs some help at this place called Purifying Cave! He's got some friends joining him too, so not only do we have a ton of extra help, but completing this mission will get us much more connections than a usual mission! Win-win, am I right?"

"Now that you do mention it… Going to this Shinx's mission doesn't sound so bad…" I faintly smile.

"Good!" Then, as usual, Fia grabs my paw, ready to head off back towards the entrance archway of Lively Town.

 **NOTE: Salutations, reader! It's been awhile since the last note (and no it was not because I was drowning what're you talking about), so I'd just like to say hi! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if I do feel like it ended up unnecessarily long, especially every part that isn't the beginning. But alas, what's done is done, and I hope what chapter comes next will make up for this chapter's faults! Anyways, if you did enjoy this rather uneventful chapter, a review on your way out would be** _ **greatly**_ **appreciated! As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read this chapter, and I hope you have a good day! :D**

 _-flareon71_


	14. 14: When The Alarms Stop

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 14 - When The Alarms Stop**

 **Outside Purifying Cave, Sparks' POV**

I continue slowly pacing around the area, waiting. I look over to the grassy path that brought us here to see the blue afternoon sky still looming over us. I then glance back to the large cave mouth in front of us, peeking at the path of blue rock ahead that leads into darkness. I don't know why, but just standing in front of this cave makes me feel… uneasy. Very uneasy. And I can tell from the serious expressions on everyone else's faces to see that they feel it too.

 _Come on… whoever we're waiting for has to come any time soon, right?_

"Are… are you sure we can't go in yet?" Chime asks, still sounding tired as Chimecho carries him on her back. "Please… I can feel it getting worse… Are you sure this is even the right place?"

"This is the place Mom's vision told us to go, after all…" Violet replies. "And her vision also told us that we can't go until… well, some Pokémon accepts our request and comes over here to help us."

"Wait… why do we need to wait again?" Mana asks, looking over at me with her still child-like eyes. "Can't we just take this mystery dungeon on our own, even if Chime is too sick to battle?"

"As much as we could do that now, that's not what Ninetales' vision said…" I reply, stopping my pace, adjusting my bag, and turning to face the path we came from. "For some reason… it's as if Ninetales' vision was aimed towards the benefit of _whoever's going to come here_ rather than _us_."

"I… think I know what you mean…" Violet responds. "Could've worded that sentence better though."

"I just hope Chime gets better after this…" Chimecho speaks up. "I can't just have come all the way here to another continent for nothing…"

I continue gazing towards the path we came, taking in the scenery of the forested area. Then, as if on cue, I manage to make out two figures running towards us.

"Here they come."

 **A few minutes later, Inside Purifying Cave, Indigo's POV**

 _Oh… oh wow… this group is really something…_

"... and then, well, after that battle, the two of us got married, but Chime here caught some sort of disease from Darkrai…" Sparks the Shinx finishes as the seven of us walk through the hallway of blue rock, dimly lit by several small openings on the ceiling. "And… that brings us here."

"All of you have gone through so much… That's awesome!" Fia says, looking at Sparks and Violet the Vulpix in awe.

"Is… that it?" I ask, something still on my mind from the story. "Uh… Sparks… excuse me for asking, but I couldn't help but notice you left out details regarding… well, wherever you came from. Don't get me wrong, I know you had amnesia, but I still think those parts regarding the future and your disappearance that were a bit too confusing since it still felt like you just popped into existence out of nowhere…"

 _Okay… call me weird, but this sounds familiar…_

"Well… don't ask me," Sparks says with a shrug. "I… don't know where I came from. I did just pop into existence like you said, after all."

 _Uh… okay then…_

"My story made more sense though, right?" Mana the Manaphy speaks up. "With the whole alternate dimension portal opening Sightseer and all?"

"I… forgot what happened there." Fia replies.

"I thought it was understandable enough, Mana…" Violet speaks up. "Even if I don't know what the species you said opened these portals looked like, I liked it."

"My… psychic instincts are alerting me!" Chime the Chingling suddenly yells, still being carried on the back of the Chimecho wearing a Gracidea flower. "Incoming!"

We all look ahead to see a Swellow and a Noivern speeding towards us. As all of us except Chime assume battle stances, the two hostile fliers send a combined Boomburst shockwave that travels through the ground towards us at a rapid pace.

"Everyone, gather behind me!" I hear Sparks command.

An instinct deep inside me snaps and I immediately obey, rushing behind the Shinx as he lets out an electrical barrier of some sort. He then absorbs the barrier and lets out a larger and sturdier-looking electricity shield. Everyone else gathers behind Sparks' shield as well. Part of the Boomburst eventually reaches the shield, pushing it back slightly as the rest of the wave travel pasts us from the sides. Sparks then absorbs the shield and uses the stored electricity to let out Discharge blasts which home in on Swellow and Noivern, blasting them to the ground.

"Should be weakened now…" Sparks points out, all of us gathering away from him. "Everyone, charge!"

We all nod as me and Fia run towards the Swellow, using my Quick Attack speed to deliver an upwards kick on it to send it into the air, where Fia grabs it with her vines and swings it towards the wall, and it ends up stuck there and vulnerable. I look at Fia as she looks at me, and we both nod at each other.

"After you." I say with a smirk, tossing a Focus Blast Alliance Attack orb at her.

She smiles back as she catches the orb with her tail, fusing it with a now-multicoloured Leaf Tornado attack aimed for the Swellow stuck in the wall. The tornado blast extends to grab the Swellow, hitting it with the leaves inside before Fia directs her Leaf Tornado to throw the Swellow all the way to the other side of the room. It hits the wall and falls to the ground, still.

Me and Fia perform a high five in triumph, and we turn around to see Sparks, Violet, Chime, Chimecho, and Mana staring at us in awe as they stand next a beat down Noivern.

"Well… isn't that a bit overkill?" Sparks asks, his amazed look shifting to a smirk.

"Uh… what do you mean?" I ask, clueless.

"That Swellow… already fainted from my Discharge."

 _WAIT WHAT_

I slap a paw to my face in disbelief.

"But still… I didn't know you could attack like that…" Violet speaks up, still in awe.

"What… kind of attack was that?" Chime asks, his amazement showing despite his tired voice. "I've never seen that type of teamwork attack before… I wanna do cool stuff like that…"

"That was an Alliance Attack," Fia replies, standing up straight in a proud pose. "Do Pokémon not do those kinds of attacks where you're from?"

"Well… I don't think Mom or Dad know about those…" Mana speaks up. "But I've actually been taught to use that Alliance Attack stuff when I was stuck in another dimension."

Surprised looks appear on Sparks and Violet's faces, but as they open their mouths to speak to Mana, the Noivern quickly gets up and spins around, sending Sparks, Violet, Chime, Chimecho, and Mana flying from a tail strike. The large bat-like Pokémon then turns to face me and Fia, letting out a loud screech which strikes fear into me.

 _Uh… oh…_

The Noivern then starts flying towards us at an astonishing speed to the point where I see nothing but a large black and purple blur heading my way.

 _Wait wait wait don't just stand there, do something!_

I immediately hold my arms up in front of myself and ready a Counter. I take a deep breath, trying to relax the panic away so I can focus.

 _Just… focus! Just… ack!_

Before I could get the Counter's red aura to appear around me, I feel the Noivern's glowing white claws slip past my arms and grab onto my chest, slightly digging into it as it lifts me up into the air. It then tosses me upward and immediately slaps me towards the wall with a Wing Attack from one of its large wings. The impact against the wall knocks the wind out of me, and I fall to the ground to see that my chest is bleeding slightly.

I cough as I struggle to get an Oran Berry from my bag. "Just… one attack… did so much damage… the hostile Pokémon here are too strong…"

As I eat an Oran Berry, I hear the sound of someone falling to the floor near me. I quickly look to my right to see that the Noivern put Fia in the same situation as me, except she appears unconscious.

I quickly get up, only to wince at the bleeding from the claw cuts the Noivern gave me.

 _Come on…_ I clutch my chest with a paw as I grip my bag's strap with the other. _I need to get Fia a Tiny Reviver Seed…_

I start to walk towards her, but I suddenly stop in place when I hear that fear-instilling screech.

 _Oh no…_

 _Come on, Indigo! Move it!_

I hear the flapping of giant wings and quickly glance to see the Noivern diving towards me, readying to chomp down on me with a Leech Life attack ready. I close my eyes and brace myself, only to end up confused at the absence of pain. I open my eyes to see the Noivern struggling to stay mid-air, ropes with red and white stripes wrapped around its legs. Thunder Wave electricity jolts through the ropes and to the Noivern, paralyzing it.

"Ha… ha!" Chime cries out in triumph, still on Chimecho's back. "Take _that_ you… you… ugh, I hate that I have trouble coming up with good one-liners when I'm sick like this…"

"Hurry, Indigo!" Chimecho cries out, using Psychic to keep the Noivern fixed in place. "Get Fia a Seed!"

Chimecho's words as well as the mention of Fia's name snaps me out of my fear-induced trance, reminding me of my current objective. Still clutching my bleeding chest, I fish out a Tiny Reviver Seed and an Oran Berry from my bag and run over to Fia. I slowly push the Seed into her mouth and slowly help her up as she regains consciousness.

She starts coughing heavily, wiping a bit of blood off her mouth. "Ugh… Indigo… what is that horrible taste in my mouth? And… why did that Wing Attack hurt so much?"

"Just eat this." I hand the Oran Berry to her, and she quickly accepts it.

The two of us then look back to see the Noivern still being held in place by Chime's ropes and Chimecho's Psychic, Sparks, Violet, and Mana readying some sort of attack behind it.

"Okay… now concentrate, and just hand the orb to me just like Mom did!" I hear Mana say to Sparks.

I notice jolts of electricity flow through Sparks' body for a second, as if readying an attack. However, instead of an electrical blast, Sparks lets out a multicoloured Alliance Attack orb mid-air which Mana manages to catch on its way down. She then fuses it with the other Alliance Orb held by her other arm, making an even larger one. Mana proceeds to fire an Ice Beam through the Alliance Orb, fusing the two and resulting in a bright white freezing beam aimed straight for the still-stuck Noivern. The beam encases the entire Pokémon in ice, but the ice quickly shatters and the Noivern falls to the ground. Chime withdraws his ropes as Chimecho cancels out her Psychic.

"Wow… so that's how that works… Looks like that's over with," Sparks says in amazement. He then starts walking towards me and Fia. "You two okay?"

"That was amazing!" Fia exclaims before I could speak up, in awe. "You handled that Noivern like it was nothing!"

"Well, we've gone through enough to get used to these kinds of battles," Violet responds with a faint smile as we all start to slowly walk ahead. "We did save the world from a crisis that I don't think many Pokémon noticed."

"It's a good thing planet paralysis just comes and you don't even feel it coming unless you _know_ and _expect_ it to come," Chime says before letting out a series of coughs. "If… Team Fate became some sort of insanely well-known group because of the whole 'saving the world' schtick, then we wouldn't be able to have much privacy, now would we?"

"Right… I'll just keep quiet on your achievements in case anyone asks… So… why do you need us to help you explore this place again?" I ask. "Judging from how you dealt with that Swellow and Noivern, aren't you perfectly capable of exploring this place even without what 'help' we can provide?"

"You see… that's the thing we're all confused about, too," Sparks replies with a shrug. "The Sightseer vision that brought us here to 'help' Chime mentioned that we weren't allowed to enter Purifying Cave unless some Pokémon accepted our request and came to help us, and I assume these Pokémon are you two."

"It's as if the vision wanted to give _you two_ guidance instead of _us,"_ Violet adds, sounding just as puzzled. "Considering this is from a Sightseer vision, this must be important in whatever endeavor you are or will be dealing with… unless the vision's wrong. There's always the off chance that it could be wrong, but if it isn't, then Arceus must want you to remember what's in this cave for some reason…"

"Okay… I was a bit unsure about whether or not that Sightseer stuff you said a while ago was true…" Fia chimes in. "But now… I'm just _really_ confused."

"You're not the only one…" I add, whispering to Fia. "I'm not sure if these guys are lying or not, either…"

 _I… would like to believe them, though… If this whole Sightseer vision stuff is true, then maybe it'll connect to my questions of my origin…_

 _It's ludicrous, sure, but I'd like to take any lead I can take… even if I can't trust its source…_

 _But I guess I can't judge these guys right away… maybe they're right… I mean, they have to have come all the way to the Water Continent for a reason, right?_

I continue thinking for a few more seconds in silence as we continue walking.

 _Well… there's still whatever at the bottom of this cave… That's where we're taking these guys, right? If whatever rests at the bottom of this cave really is important… well, I guess I'll see what happens when the time comes._

"So… what about you two?" Sparks says, suddenly snapping me out of my thoughts. "We've pretty much told you a whole lot about the five of us… How about you tell us about yourselves?"

"Oh… uh…" I hesitate, caught off guard. "Well, one thing's for sure, the two of us are _nowhere_ near as experienced or… well, important as you guys. We're actually the newest recruits of Lively Town's Expedition Society."

"Did you join together like we did?" Violet asks, sounding intrigued.

"We did, actually!" Fia speaks up, sounding enthusiastic. "That's because we're the closest of friends who came all the way from Serene Village to overcome whatever overwhelming odds might stop us from achieving our dreams!"

"Those dreams being…?" I hear Chime say.

"My dream is to join the Expedition Society!" Fia replies. Her excited tone then fades slightly. "Which… uh… I've already achieved! But regardless, all I can do about that is aspire even higher! With Indigo!"

"What's your dream, Indigo?" Sparks asks me.

"Me? Well… um…" I hesitate.

 _What… is my dream?_

 _I can't just pull the 'find out my human origins' thing since, well, I can't exactly tell some super important exploration team about that… They might try to hunt me down for being an intruder to their world, for crying out loud! That's… what knowledgeable Pokémon like these guys do, right?_

 _I… can't say for sure…_

 _Come on… think of something… what's… my motivation?_

 _Just say something… anything! These Team Fate guys are probably getting suspicious of my silence!_

"Fia." I blurt out, trying my best to take a collected tone as I spoke to hide my nervousness.

Silence suddenly fills the room. Everyone, including Fia, starts glaring at me with questionable looks, making me even more nervous.

"What about Fia?" Mana asks.

I continue getting questionable looks from everyone, except the eyes on me seem even more intrigued at what I have to say. Even Fia, the only Pokémon in the room who knows I had to come up with something that isn't finding out my human origins, started looking at me with a curious smile in a way that showed that she was the most intrigued about what I had to say about suddenly blurting her name.

I mentally sigh in slight defeat, knowing I can't exactly take what I said back. But looking at the bright side, at least saying Fia's name when I tried to think of a motivation wouldn't count as me lying. She is my friend, after all. My closest friend.

"I want to join Fia in her dream of aspiring higher as an official member of the Expedition Society," I manage a triumphant smile as I say those words. "She is my closest friend, after all. We've gone this far because of each other, so, I don't any reason why we should stop sticking together."

I glance over to Fia to see that she's wearing that cheerful 'I could hug you right now' look on her face. Fortunately, she didn't lunge at me to give me an embrace, because while I do genuinely enjoy her hugs from time to time, I'd rather not have her… unique display of friendship suddenly provoke the 'lovebirds' card from these Team Fate guys.

"Heh…" Chime says with a smirk before letting out a cough. "Sounds to me like you're more than just friends…"

My eyes widen in surprise and shock.

 _Come on… not again…_

"Well, duh, of course we're more than friends!" Fia cuts in, stepping in front of me, her response making me even more surprised as I bite my lip. "We're best friends, after all!"

"Best friends?" Violet asks, raising an eyebrow. "Wait… how long have you known each other?"

"Around… maybe a week ago!" Fia responds with that unknowing carefree tone, making me even more nervous.

My paws immediately rush to cover my ears, not wanting to hear what other things Fia might say to provoke the 'lovebirds' card, but instead I grab my black dangles in a failed attempt to cover my embarrassed look.

"That… was quick," Sparks comments, his intrigued tone picking up. "I'm… pretty sure best friends aren't picked up that quickly."

"Come on, you don't have to think of it like that! That just shows how close and special our… bond is!" Fia continues, making me even more embarrassed.

 _At this rate I feel like going over to the wall and banging my head against it…_

 _Come on, it's not like me and Fia are going to get married or anything!_

An idea suddenly comes to me, and I smirk.

"Best friends aren't picked up that quickly?" I speak up, looking over at the group of five, eyeing Sparks and Violet in particular. "How long was the time between when you first met and when you got married? If I remember correctly… it was a few months, right?"

"Yeah?" Sparks responds, sounding slightly confused. His confused look then turns into an expression of split-second shock before shifting to a slight smirk directed at me. "Oh… touché."

As Violet went over to ask Sparks what my little remark meant, Fia goes over to me to ask the exact same question. I simply shrugged.

"Guess I just said the right words at the right time."

The seven of us continue heading through the cave hallway now in silence, devoid of any conversation, while my mind was congratulating itself for managing to get me out of that sticky conversation topic of a situation.

 **A few minutes later, Author's POV**

Arceus, it's been two whole chapters without my narration, what have I been doing?

Ahem! Anyway, after a few more floors of traversing through the dark and darker hallways of Purifying Cave with no guidance but Sparks' tail, the group of seven head down a staircase to find themselves in the bottom floor of the cave. The darkness of the hallway they're in enshrouds them, the light from Sparks' tail barely lighting up the area around them.

"Oh… this room is even darker than the last one…" Violet comments. "These rooms have just been getting darker the further we go, haven't they?"

"Wait… I think I can see a light pouring into the room at the end of this hallway!" Indigo points out.

"We better get going then!" Chimecho says, Chime still resting on her back. "Chime's been… pretty quiet lately… I don't know if he's asleep, or…"

"He's asleep," Fia chimes in. "He stirred when I tried poking his rope things with my vines. How do those things even work, anyway? Are they like vines?"

The group all start to head forward as Chimecho thinks of a response to Fia's question.

"Well, they stretch, they wrap, they attack, they reach faraway objects, surprisingly flammable…" Chimecho replies. "Pretty much vines."

"Wait, they're flammable?" Mana speaks up. "I didn't know that! Is that why he loves Rawst Berries to the point where they're the things he obsesses the most over? Because I've always been wondering why it's the one possession he has that he treats as if it were some treasure. And he always seems to have an unlimited amount of them for some reason…"

"There's actually a completely different reason for his Rawst Berry treasuring, but you're description of his obsession was _spot on."_ Chimecho replies with a smile.

"I heard 'Rawst Berry treasuring'!" Chime blurts out, waking up. "Oh… are we here yet?"

"I think so," Sparks replies. "There's a light pouring into the room at the end of this hallway. And… I think there's a Pokémon standing there."

"Do you… think it's hostile?" Violet asks.

"I don't think so…" Sparks takes a few more steps ahead, trying to get a closer look at the green Pokémon in the room ahead. "It doesn't look like it's hostile… it looks calm… collected… and… as if it's watching us?"

"Greetings." With the group of seven now able to see and hear it clearly, the Pokémon greets them all with a deep male voice. The Xatu slowly scans them all with his eyes, maintaining a look of mysterious authority. "I've been expecting you. You're here because of a Sightseer vision regarding your Chingling friend, right?"

The Xatu's response gets him surprised looks from Sparks and Violet. Everyone else just responds with looks of intrigue.

"How… did you know?" Violet asks. "Are you… a Sightseer, too?"

"Correct. I'm actually the second of a trio of Xatu Sightseer brothers," He continues. "You can call me the Guardian. I am in charge of standing here in the bottom room of Purifying Cave. It's a good thing too, because this room is very special."

"I… can tell…" Sparks says, looking past the Xatu to see the large beam of mystical-looking light pouring into the center of the large circular room. "What's with the light?"

"Ah… yes. You might want to stay away from that," Xatu answers, spreading his wings to hide the view of the light. "So, you need help with your Chingling friend, right? Allow me. I can show you exactly what's wrong with him."

The Xatu slowly walks over to Chimecho, who slowly sets the tired Chingling on the ground. Chime slowly looks up at Xatu, the little Psychic type's face now devoid of any clever wit within and has become nothing but a look of painful desperation. The larger Psychic type merely stares back, placing a wing on Chime's head and focusing. A few seconds of silence pass. Xatu slowly closes his eyes, deep in concentration.

Shortly after, Xatu quickly opens his eyes and stares ahead, the black pupils of his eyes glowing a bright light blue. He opens his beak and lets out a cry that echoes around the room, the bright light blue engulfing everyone in the room in its light.

 **Chime's Mind**

Xatu, Sparks, Violet, Chimecho, Mana, Indigo, and Fia all find themselves in a large area, incomprehensible darkness stretching all around them. Eerie silence ensues as they all try to make out their surroundings.

"Wait… why does this seem familiar?" Sparks asks aloud, his voice echoing a bit before being lost in the darkness.

"Xatu… are we in a dream or something?" Violet asks.

"A mind, to be more specific." Xatu replies, still bearing his slightly monotone voice.

"So… this is what it's like…" Chimecho speaks up, her voice in slight awe.

"Wait a second… where's the Chingling?" Fia questions.

"Over there. Cast your eyes ahead." Xatu points a wing forward.

The other six all gaze where Xatu is pointing to see Chime's little yellow figure in the distance, appearing in pain. They all rush through the darkness to get closer to him, only to see that the source of his pain is some dark purplish aura that seems to be revolving around him and tormenting him.

"Oh…" Chime looks up manages to open his eyes painfully slowly to see everyone's concerned looks. He cracks a weak smile. "Hi guys… sorry you have to see my like this…"

"Chime!" Chimecho cries out worriedly. She starts to hover towards the Chingling, but the dark aura surrounding Chime reaches out towards her. Xatu quickly uses Psychic to stop Chimecho and bring her back to the group before the dark aura could reach her.

"Keep your distance. It's dangerous to get close to him in the mind world. Do not let the dark aura reach you or you'll end up like him as well." He says.

Chimecho opens her mouth to protest, but Xatu stops her by holding up a wing in front of her.

"What… is that stuff?" Mana asks.

"I recognize this dark aura. Sightseer visions have prepared me for this," Xatu answers, taking an even more serious tone than before. "That is the influence of Dark Matter."

"Dark… Matter?" Fia speaks up. "Never heard of it."

"It is a hidden evil entity that once lurked in this world. Supposedly, it's agenda was to end the world, but it was presumed to have been destroyed years ago." Xatu answers.

"Is it… like a legend of some sort?" Violet asks.

"Around the Water Continent, yes, since Dark Matter was destroyed before it could threaten other continents," Xatu then points a wing towards Chime. "This… this dark aura is caused by too much exposure to Dark Matter. Your Chingling friend is being brainwashed by Dark Matter to join him as an ally."

"Wait… how?!" Chimecho cries out. "I thought Dark Matter was already destroyed! His sickness can't be caused by attempted brainwash!"

"He… he might be right…" Chime speaks up, trying not to flinch from the pain the dark aura is dealing to him. "I can hear voices… distorted voices… telling me to give up and give in or something like that… I must've lost Evil Chime to them, which is why I haven't been able to make him speak in the past week…"

"It's a good thing you came here now," Xatu says. "If you had you come here any later, you might've already lost his mind to Dark Matter."

"Is… there any way to stop this?" Chime asks, his voice growing weaker. "I… don't know how long I can keep myself stable… I… think I only have a few minutes left before I'm gone…"

"No! Stay with us, Chime!" Chimecho cries out, tears now welling up in her eyes.

"Come on, we can't lose you!" Sparks exclaims, sounding just as desperate. "Even after all we've gone through, too! Don't you want to evolve?"

"Heh… evolve? I haven't reached that point of happiness yet…" Chime replies, managing a faint and insincere smile. "Come on… Xatu… what can we do?"

"There is one thing we can do to stop your brainwashed self from causing destruction," Xatu responds. "It'll guarantee the complete disappearance of all the Dark Matter influence in your mind. However… you'll have to disappear, too. That's what the light at the bottom of Purifying Cave is for. It'll get rid of Dark Matter influence completely, but it'll get rid of you, too."

"Wait… no!" Chimecho exclaims. "There has to be another way! Can't we just put him in a coma or something until the Dark Matter stuff goes away?! Or maybe I can surgically remove it from his brain and stuff! Come on, I don't even know how to do surgery, but I'll do _anything!"_

Xatu merely shakes his head.

"There is no other way. Not even killing him directly would stop it," He says. "His entire body would have to be gone in order for the Dark Matter influence to disappear completely. This light is the only way."

But before Chimecho could protest once more, Xatu cuts her off by spreading his wings.

"We can't waste any more time."

 **Bottom of Purifying Cave, Fia's POV**

After shaking off the split second blindness from another flash of light, I find myself back in Purifying Cave with everyone else. I look over to Indigo to see him wearing a grim look. I don't blame him.

 _Are we… really supposed to be here? Watching a Chingling die?_

The thought of death just makes me even more scared, and I grab Indigo's paw. My gesture causes him to look at me, and we both just glance at either with our serious looks. His grip on my hand tightens.

Meanwhile, Sparks, Violet, Mana, and Chimecho, tearing up, all seem to be talking to Chime, who's still sitting on the floor, about something.

"Just… take care of my house, okay?" I hear Chime say, a weak smile on his face. "I… know I don't treasure it nearly as much as I do Rawst Berries, but still…"

"Chime…" Chimecho, tears running down her face, picks up Chime and hugs him. He hugs her back.

"Hey… on the plus side… at least I'll see my parents again," Chime replies, starting to cry as well. By the time Chimecho set him down, his smile has now faded. "I'll… miss you guys."

"We'll miss you too…" Violet says, starting to tear up.

"You've been a really good friend… and teammate…" Sparks adds, Mana starting to sob next to him.

"Chime… please… I'll miss you…" Chimecho says.

"I… I know… I'm sorry… but take care, alright?" Chime replies. "I'm… sorry for being so unusually emotional, but you understand, right?"

They all nod, and Chime stretches his ropes around them in what looks like a group hug.

"Okay… I'm ready…" Chime says to Xatu once he withdraws.

Xatu slowly nods and points a wing towards the mystical-looking light pouring into the room. My grip on Indigo's paw tightens even more in anticipation as Chime slowly levitates towards the light. As he enters the area of the light, he slowly turns to face all of us, with a weak smile, though I know he's turning to face his friends rather than us.

"Again… everyone… take care…" He says, starting to glow the same blue as the light. "Don't forget me… alright?"

He closes his eyes as his entire body glows. Then, slowly, his figure fades away until nothing's left.

Silence ensues.

I'm left speechless by the events that just unfolded in front of me. I can tell Indigo's speechless too.

"That… that's it…" I hear Sparks mutter, breaking the silence. "He's… really gone…"

"Things aren't going to be the same without him…" Violet says.

Chimecho merely collapses, sobbing. The devastation in her crying voice just makes me feel even worse about the situation. Me and Indigo are just standing here, watching these Pokémon cry over a dead friend. I glance over to Indigo to see him staring at the ground, deep in thought with a sad frown. He feels the same way.

I sigh.

"I'm sorry about your loss," Xatu says, sounding… remorseful for once. "But… like he said, the least you could do is to never forget him. There are other loved ones that have been lost to Dark Matter's influence years ago, after all…"

"Wait… Fia… I'll just do something real quick…" Indigo says to me in a serious tone, letting go of my hand.

"Uh… okay then." I reply.

I look over to him as he walks over to the other four Pokémon.

"Hey… I'm sorry about what happened…" He says to them. "How about I use an Escape Orb from my bag… and then maybe we can get some drinks at Cafe Connection if it'd make you guys feel better… it's the least I can do…"

As Indigo continues talking, I decide to go over and talk to the Xatu.

 _I guess… I might as well use this chance to ask Xatu about something…_

 **NOTE: And, I'm afraid I have to cut this chapter short. I know, I know, the ending was rather abrupt and the chapter could've ended on a better note, but that would've made the chapter too long so I cut it in half. Hopefully you still enjoyed this chapter, school has made this week a real stressful one while I tried to type this. But anyways, thank you so much for reading this, and I hope you have a good day!**

 _ **Oh and it appears that I've brought Chime back only to kill him sorry not sorry**_

 _-flareon71_


	15. 15: The Anomaly

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 15 - The Anomaly**

 **Several minutes later, Cafe Connection, Indigo's POV**

…

 _This Oran Berry juice is good, how's all your drinks?_

…

 _Wait, I didn't say that and instead kept it in my mind, didn't I?_

I quietly sigh to myself, what little noise I make being drowned out by the commotion of all the other Pokémon in the large circular room. I go back to sipping my glass of Oran Berry juice, with Fia quietly sipping her juice on the stool next to me, with Sparks, Violet, Chimecho, and Mana sitting in silence at the other side of the circular wooden table.

 _I… still feel really awkward about trying to talk to these guys… I mean, their Chingling friend who I didn't even know just died so I don't know what to even say…_

"A-Ahem…" I manage to muster up the ability to clear my throat, breaking the silence as all eyes turn to me. "So… I'm still sorry about what happened back at Purifying Cave… I thought sparing you an Escape Orb and paying for our drinks here would help make it up, even if only slightly… but… I didn't know all the drinks here are free…"

I get weary smiles from everyone on the opposite end of the table.

"Don't worry about it… it's not like you had anything to do with it," Sparks tells me. "You are newly recruited Expedition Society members, right? So it's not like you were in cahoots with this Dark Matter force of anything like that…"

"I… still don't know why the vision chose you two of all Pokémon to explore Purifying Cave with us, though…" Violet adds, her smile shifting into a thoughtful frown.

"Maybe… we lucked out or something?" Fia says with a shrug. "I mean, I really have high hopes for what me and Indigo can do as Expedition Society members, but being chosen by some mystical vision force or whatever to watch a Chingling die is _not_ what I'd expect on our first day."

"Maybe you two really are supposed to do something big," Mana speaks up, sounding slightly hopeful. "The Sightseer vision had to have ended up so the resulting circumstances chose you for a reason, right?"

"In all honesty, I don't think I'd have my hopes up for that," I respond with a faint smile, shrugging. "I mean, even if things have gone rather quickly for us in terms of progress, I think we just got really really lucky…"

"Well, in that case, if progress has been going quickly for you so far, then why would it stop now?" Sparks responds.

"Uh… we'll just see what happens when it happens…" I respond, caught off guard. "After all, right now I'm still trying to take in everything that just happened…"

 _Why did the two of us of all Pokémon have to watch a Chingling die, anyway?_

"Well, hey, maybe we aren't totally trapped in the dark," Fia says with a supportive tone, giving me a gentle nudge in the arm. "Maybe Chief will know what to make of this. We… still have to report this stuff to him, right?"

 _Wait… Chief!_

I immediately jolt up, almost falling over as I stand up onto my stool. I pick up my glass of Oran Berry juice and quickly pour the entire drink down my throat, finishing what's left in it with a huge gulp and earning me surprised looks from everyone else.

"I almost forgot we still head back!" I yell. "And it's gotten late, too!"

"I wouldn't say it's _that_ late…" Mana speaks up. "I'd say it's just the beginning of the evening or something like that…"

I then glance over to Fia to see her just as urgently shocked as me, finishing her glass of Oran Berry juice and panting in exhaustion.

"Let's get a move on, Indigo!" She exclaims, jumping off her seat.

I jump off of my seat as well, and fortunately, Fia doesn't grab my paw on our way out of the Cafe. Can't risk the 'lovebird' card being pulled after all that.

 **Sparks' POV**

"Uh… okay then! We'll just… uh… tell the Kangaskhan barista that you had business you attend to!" I call out as the two cautiously make their way past the other groups of Pokémon leaving through the doorway. I sigh, and then turn to face Violet. "There they go. You think we'll ever see them again?"

Violet shrugs. "Maybe we will, maybe we won't."

I then look over to Chimecho, who is now wistfully staring at her glass of Rawst Berry juice.

"He… would've loved this…" I hear her say quietly.

I notice Violet and Mana turn to face her, but I make a gesture with my paw and shake my head, silencing them, before they could speak.

 _Let me take this._

But in response, Violet also shakes her head and places her paw on mine, staring at me with a serious look.

"I think it's best if I talk to her…" She whispers to me.

I start thinking about my protestant response, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that Violet is right.

"Well… okay. Go ahead." I whisper.

She flashes a faint smile at me and we carefully switch seats. She scooches her stool closer to Chimecho while I go over to face Mana, now sitting beside me and looking deep in thought about something.

"Hey… don't worry…" I say, gently placing my paw on her back in a comforting manner. "We all miss him too…"

She looks at me with a faint smile, still bearing those innocent child-like eyes of hers.

"Do you… think he'll come back someday?"

"Well, like your mother started saying, as long as you believe with all your heart that something is possible…"

"There is always that being who will answer your plea for help and grant your wish," Mana finishes. "That's how it went, right? Though… I never got the 'that being' part…"

"It… may differ from situation to situation," I reply with a slight shrug. "Might not even be a being sometimes."

My response gets me a slightly larger smile from Mana, but it quickly shifts as she goes back to looking deep in thought.

"You know… Dad… I've been thinking about something," She says, her cheerful tone now sounding tired. "I've always looked up to you and Mom… admired Chime and Chimecho… enjoyed hearing stories about Mom's parents… but all this romance got me thinking… will I ever find my special someone?"

Mana's question surprises me for a split second, but I quickly look at her with a proud smile.

 _Looks like little Mana's been growing up fast._

"You'll find the one someday," I respond in a gentle tone. "Just you wait. The time will come. You'll find your special someone eventually."

"You… really think so?"

"Of course," I say. "I mean, you're a Manaphy for crying out loud. Who _wouldn't_ want to be with you? Maybe we should make you head out more often… Just… make sure you have him meet us, alright? You're still our beautiful little girl, after all. You may be growing up fast, but you'll always be our little Mana."

She smiles at me.

"That reminds me… are you and Mom going to evolve yet?"

"Er… what?" I respond, caught off guard by her sudden question.

She turns away from me, looking somewhat embarrassed. "It's just… it's weird growing up like this when my parents are barely taller than me… you know?"

 _Oh… right… I've already had to accept the fact that Violet is actually taller than me, but my little Mana?_

 _I really hate being vertically challenged…_

"Well… uh… don't you worry," I reply, stroking her back with my paw to make her face me again. "Once we get back home tonight, I'll talk to your mother about going back to Luminous Spring."

 _Though… once Violet evolves, talking to either her or Ninetales is going to be really awkward…_

"Back to romance… there's also… been on more thing on my mind, Dad." She says, her tone perking up slightly.

"Wait… let me guess…" I smile back. "Is it about that Riolu and Snivy?"

She flashes her child-like grin at me and nods.

"I would've known," I reply. "That insistent tone of denial is all too familiar to me…"

 **A few minutes later, Expedition Society, Fia's POV**

I continue waiting in the large open meeting area as Ampharos listens to Indigo.

"Hmm… so is that all that's happened?" He finally asks, taking that sophisticated tone of his.

"Well, other than our short Cafe Connection break, yeah, that's it." Indigo replies.

"Interesting… well, don't worry," He says, smiling at us. "This is important information. You can expect everyone else to know this by tomorrow. But for now, you two have done well, so go get dinner."

"Wait… you're not mad?" Indigo asks, looking and sounding surprised. "That we came back late?"

"Why would I?" Ampharos replies in a friendly tone, shrugging. "My Expedition Gadget says that not only did you go acquaint the Society with a rather dapper-looking Wooper and a Gligar, but it also says that you went out of your way to help and acquaint with three other Pokémon, a Shinx, Vulpix, and a Manaphy who came here all the way from another continent!"

I smile and playfully nudge Indigo's arm.

"Looks like that second exploration trip was a good idea, huh?" I say, causing him to smile back.

I then realize something about what Ampharos just said.

 _Wait… only those three? Well… I guess it'd make sense that the Connection Orb didn't register the Chimecho or the Chingling since we didn't exactly help those two…_

"Two members of an important sounding team as well as a Mythical Pokémon!" Ampharos continues, still sounding impressed. "Since we're acquaintances now, I might as well try to get in contact with them and their associates when I get the chance… As for you two, you might as well get dinner now for all your hard work! Everyone else is still waiting for you, after all!"

 **The Dining Room**

After following Ampharos to the dining room and being greeted by the wonderful smell of Swirlix's 'Flamethrower cooked' food and cries of "Finally!" or "About time!" or even "Fooooooooooooood!", everyone else starts digging in while me and Indigo just stare at everyone else's eating enthusiasm in silence.

 _I almost forgot how much all these guys love eating…_

"So… mmm… where'd you two go?" Mac asks beside me, speaking between bites of some donut-shaped looking food. "What made it so… mmm… that you came back here late on your first official exploration?"

"It's… a long explanation," I reply with a shrug as I take a cooked Oran Berry into my mouth using a vine. "But if you really want an explanation, just… mmf… ask Ampharos when you get the chance…"

"Hmm… you both look like you bled…" Buizel says from beside Indigo, eyeing his stomach. "What happened? Do you need Ludwig to check up on you or something?"

"Did I hear someone in need of a check up?!" The doctor perks up excitedly on the other end of the table, behind a large pile of those oval-shaped multicoloured chewy looking food.

Buizel waves a paw towards Ludwig, shaking his head. "No, no, we're fine."

"We… got into some trouble… but we're okay." Indigo replies, taking some pieces of Apple.

"Hmm…" Buizel responds, going back to eating.

I then glance over to Mac to see that between his attempts at stopping Flaps from pecking a hole into the table, he's gone back to eating as well.

I let out a quiet unsatisfied grunt as I continue chewing the Oran Berry. Not because of how it tasted, but because of the thoughts still lingering in my mind.

 _What EXACTLY happened today? I'm supposed to be eating right now… but why do can't I get my mind off of what happened? Ampharos is probably going to explain what happened to everyone else… but what will they make of it when even I don't know what exactly happened and why?_

I sigh, now having swallowed my Oran Berry, feeling empty. I then look over to Indigo to see him busy eating Apples left and right, seemingly thinking about eating the food rather than anything else.

 _He doesn't look worried… even if he didn't learn anything about his human origin…_

 _I'm surprised at how worried I am when right now he doesn't even look the slightest bit concerned…_

 _Guess that shows how much I care about him… He is my best friend, after all._

I smile.

 _I mean, after what he said about me back at Purifying Cave, I'm pretty sure he cares about me the same way I care about him…_

Without thinking, I wrap my arms around him and pull him into a hug, almost pulling him off of his chair in the process. He looks at me with a surprised look, his eyes widening. Fortunately, his look quickly fades away as if he's already used to it as I continue leaning my head against the comforting warm fur on his shoulder.

"So… uh… what's this hug for?" He asks slowly, in between bites as he moves his chair closer to me so he can sit properly.

"Just for being my best friend…" I say, still smiling. "In case anyone asks why I'm hugging you, just tell them that this is normal…"

"If… you say so." Indigo says, sounding hesitant, but his face was turned towards the food so I wouldn't be able to confirm that. A few seconds of nothing but the sounds of eating later, I see Indigo holding an Apple in front of my face.

"If you're going to be busy still hugging me, the least you can do is eat." He says, a smile on his face.

I take the Apple with a vine and take a bite out of it, feeling more satisfied about Indigo's little gesture than the taste of the Apple itself.

 **About an hour later, Room, Indigo's POV**

After getting our dinner over with, Ampharos dismissed us to head back to sleep in our room… or… rooms?

Me and Fia got into a little talk about whether or not we should still sleep in the same room since now our hands aren't stuck. In the end, despite how unbelievably awkward it'd end up being for us, we decided to sleep in the same room because surprise surprise, our picture, framed and all with one half green and one half blue, got delivered to our room. After all, I wouldn't want Fia to get jealous because I have a picture of us while she doesn't, and I'm pretty sure it goes the other way around.

Besides, I'd rather have Fia as a roommate rather than staying alone because… I'll admit, she's done a real good job arranging the straw to make the room look good. As far as I know, I know nothing about interior design, so it'd be nice having someone like her around to help decorate.

And with the night sky shining through our open window, we both move our straw beds a respectable distance from each other and lie down after saying our good night calls.

…

I really hate silence.

Nothing but silence. I really hate that 'nothing' part especially. Because with nothing happening and nothing to do, my mind tends to wander off. And when it wanders off, it will never stop bugging me.

Thoughts about what happened today continue flooding my mind.

 _Why did we have to go to Purifying Cave?_

 _Why did we have to watch a Chingling die?_

 _Was all that Sightseer stuff really true?_

 _What is the real purpose behind all this?_

 _Why… why oh why do I have way too many unanswered questions?!_

I sway back and forth as I sit up on my straw bed, hugging my knees as I blankly stare at the wall.

 _Just let me sleep already, mind! Please, today has been a whole roller coaster, so just let me have this rest!_

I feel annoyance build up in me. I clutch my head with my paws, resisting the urge to scream.

And then I hear the familiar sound of Fia's voice across the room, immediately surprising me but calming me down at the same time. Still sitting down, I turn around to see her still lying down on her straw bed, her hands tucked under the side of her head as her eyes stare back at me, looking more serious rather than her usual cheerfulness.

"Oh… Indigo… you're awake too?" She asks me, her tone reflecting the expression in her eyes. "Can't sleep either, huh?"

"At least I'm not the only one…" I say, a faint smile appearing in my face now that I could converse with Fia to get rid of this silence's 'nothing'. "There's been a lot on my mind…"

"Purifying Cave? The Chingling? Dark Matter? Or the Sightseer stuff?"

"I'll go with 'all of the above and more'," I reply, taking a more light-hearted tone. "Just thinking about my lack of answers is infuriating…"

"Well, don't worry… even if we didn't find any good answers today, we'll learn more soon enough," A smile comes across her face as she continues speaking. "I just know it! Even if all our adventuring efforts have…" She yawns. "... really exhausted me… Answers will come, just you wait!" A look of realization sparks up in her eyes. "That reminds me! Before we left Purifying Cave, I asked Xatu where we can get guidance on human stuff and all that!"

"Wait… you did?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"

"Oh… I… uh… didn't want to ruin your good mood by reminding you of what happened at the cave…" She says, sheepishly chuckling. "But anyways, you remember how that Xatu said one of three Xatu? And that he's called the 'Guardian' and stuff? Well, he said that he has two other brothers, the 'Roamer' and the 'Box Opener', and he said that both of them should be smarter than him in all the legends and stuff, especially revolving around humans! He even said they're Sightseers too, so they must be smart about these things! Maybe they'll know all the answers to your questions!"

I find myself in awe at Fia's response. A mix of amazement, sudden joy… and even more questions.

"Wait… where are these two others, anyway?" I ask.

"Actually… Guardian Xatu said that if were to see one of them, it'd be the Roamer," Fia says, a slightly unsure look on her face. "He said that the Box Opener is not interesting. At all. So Roamer's our best bet…"

"Okay then… where can we expect to find him?"

"That's the thing…" Fia continues. "He's the _Roamer._ With his Sightseer power mumbo jumbo, he could be anywhere at any time! Guardian Xatu just said to 'stop looking for the answers and just let the answers come to you' or whatever that means…"

"I… think we should take his word for it…" I say after a few seconds of thinking. "Who knows, maybe he's right… but at least we have a potential lead…" I take a deep breath, feeling a weight being lifted off my shoulders. "Thanks for telling me this, Fia… even if I didn't get any definite answers, at least I got information… You know, it's really selfless of you to want to help me like this when you can easily worry more about our new Expedition Society responsibilities…"

"You're my best friend! How could I not be concerned about you?" She says, her smile growing bigger. She then yawns. "Besides… after all we've gone through today… I think it'd be best if we both helped each other get to sleep…"

"You… certainly helped me…" I say, sleepiness coming over me as I yawn as well. "I think I can sleep now… so… what's on _your_ mind, Fia?"

"What do you mean?" She says, her tone perking up while sounding confused.

"You're still awake for the same reason, right?" I ask.

"Actually…" She casts a sheepish grin at me. "I'm cold. I hate that this room's window can't even close… Why bother calling it a window if it's just a hole in the wall?"

I look over to the wall to see that it is indeed just a hole in the wall. I then turn back to Fia to hear her continue speaking.

"The only reason I was able to sleep here yesterday was because… of… well… I was close to your warm fur…" Fia's sheepish tone fades into hesitation as she tears her eyes away from me while looking embarrassed. "So… um… Indigo… is it okay if I… you know?"

Before she could look back at me, I carefully scooch my bed closer to her, lying down once our beds are close enough until the straw of one bed starts touching the other. As she finally looks back to face me, I can't help but smile warmly at her look of surprise, despite how awkward I feel deep down.

My smile must've been contagious, because Fia's surprised look shifts into a smile, except this one looks more shy than her usual carefree cheerfulness. One singular voice calls out in my mind.

… _cute._

After a few seconds of me and Fia silently staring at each other and smiling, she wraps her arms around me and pulls me into a tight hug, leaning her head against my chest.

"Mmm… thank you…" I hear her say quietly, closing her eyes.

I make sure to hug her back, carefully wrapping my paws around her neck.

"Hey… it's what best friends do, right?" I reply, my grin growing larger as I finally manage to bring myself to fall asleep.

 **Lively Town's Lighthouse and Dock, Sparks' POV**

"So… back to the Grass Continent, right?" Lapras asks us. "That's where you'd like to go?"

I nod, everyone else being too sleepy to respond.

"Well, it's a good thing I'm still awake, unlike my other faster swimming associates," Lapras responds, turning her shell towards us so that the four of us can hop onto it from the edge of the dock. "Hop on."

Violet, Mana, and I follow by hopping onto the shell, Chimecho sleepily hovering onto the shell before collapsing.

As Lapras quietly swims ahead, the quiet night being accompanied by the gentle sound of Lapras' swimming as well as Chimecho and Mana's light snoring, I look over to Violet to see her lying down beside me.

"You know… Sparks…" She says, turning to face me as she notices me looking at her. "... even after I had a whole talk with Chimecho about it, I still can't get over what happened to Chime… what even is this Dark Matter stuff?"

"I… don't know… all I was able to observe was that Chime got that disease after our battle against Darkrai…" I whisper back, still slightly frustrated about the whole thing. "But what does Darkrai have to do with Dark Matter? I thought that Xatu said that Dark Matter was a threat that was destroyed years ago…"

"I know they both have Dark in their names… but how does something that was seemingly caused by a Darkrai relate to some being years ago?" Violet whispers, sounding confused. Her expression then picks up with realization. "Wait… unless…"

My expression picks up as well, realizing the same thing.

 _Years ago… as in… the past…_

"Our battle against Darkrai ended with him attempting to head to the past…" I whisper, recalling the details. "Do you think he… survived the trip to the past? And with what powers he had left, he managed to bypass the rules of time and space to become Dark Matter?"

"But… that doesn't make sense," Violet responds, her eyes widening. "The past can't just integrate into the future, right? It's difficult to think about… but still! Wouldn't the past effects need a window of opportunity to sneak into the future all at once without causing disappearances?"

I start thinking about it some more.

 _Why would the future change? What window of opportunity was there to change the future without interrupting its flow?_

It then hits me.

 _You can't interrupt the flow of something… that has already been stopped._

 _The planet's paralysis… that must've been when it happened, right?_

My head starts to ache, and I groan.

"This… is too much to think about…" I say, clutching a paw to my head. "I don't know if I'm even right…" I shake my head and manage to compose myself, looking back at Violet with a serious expression. "But one thing's for sure… heading back home was the right idea. We need to talk to Cresselia about this!"

 **NOTE: And with a whole lotta space time mumbo jumbo (which I sincerely apologize for), that's the end of this chapter! Hope you've enjoyed this one, because this one was a doozy! And if the whole time travel stuff with Darkrai confused you greatly then I sincerely apologize since that'll be covered more soon and I REALLY need to up my description game… but anyways, if you still found this chapter enjoyable, a review would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for reading this, and I hope you have a good day! :D**

 _-flareon71_


	16. 16: Take To The Air

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 16 - Take To The Air**

 **The next morning, Fia's POV**

 _Mmm… so warm…_

Wrapped in a weird mixture of half-asleep and half-aware, I continue snuggling my head into Indigo's furry chest, keeping my arms wrapped around him as his are wrapped around me, nothing but our soft snoring filling the silence around us.

 _I love this… So warm… so comforting… I can lie down here with Indigo for hours… days… even years…_

 _Even… forever…_

 _If only we could stay like this… forever…_

 _Just me and Indigo… forever…_

The silence around us is then interrupted by beeping. I stir, my full consciousness returning, but I remain lying down, eyes still closed as I frown. The beeping continues, starting to nag at my ears, while Indigo doesn't even show any signs of reacting whatsoever, still remaining still.

 _Oh, Indigo… you silly deep sleeper you…_

I move one of my hands over to the back of his head and slowly push him, continuously but gently nudging the back of his head as I back my head away and slowly lift my eyelids to stare at him.

"Indigo…" I utter, my weak voice reflecting my drowsiness. "Go get the beeping…"

He starts to stir at the sound of my voice, yawning first before he opens his eyes, his sleepy expression immediately shifting to a surprised look as he stares at me.

"Oh… uh… good morning Fia…" He says to me, sounding hesitant as his expression slowly shifts to a calmer one. "I almost forgot we ended up sleeping like this… so… uh… enjoy your sleep?"

I can't help but smile at him. "I did… but… just… go get the beeping… silly…"

"Oh… right." He gets up.

I slowly get up on my feet, staggering in my tiredness, to see him poking around with his Expedition Gadget. The beeping stops, Dedenne's high-pitched voice now emitting from the device.

"Oh! Indigo! This should be your Expedition Gadget, right?"

"Uh… yeah?" He responds, wiping his sleepy eyes with a paw.

"Good! That must mean you and Fia are awake!" Dedenne's voice continues.

 _Wait a second…_ I realize something, snapping out of my sleepiness. _Why haven't I gotten any voice messages on my Gadget yet?!_

I quickly shake my head, driving those thoughts away as Dedenne's voice starts to fade into silence.

"Alright, that's that Fia," Indigo says, putting the Expedition Gadget into his bag, taking his badge from it before doing so. "We need to go… Dedenne said that the morning briefing has started already!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" I hastily get a vine out and use it to retrieve my bag that was lying on one end of the room, putting the bag's strap over my shoulder. "Let's go!"

 **Meeting Room, Indigo's POV**

Clutching the leaf-covered strap over my shoulder, I run with Fia out of the door and through the hallway to hastily meet up with the other Expedition Society members, all of them looking at us with peculiar expressions as we stop running.

"Oh? Indigo and Fia? I would've thought you two would have slept in different rooms…" Ampharos says from the front of the room, eyeing us curiously. "But… no matter. You're here now, and I'll have you know that every other guild member knows about everything you told me yesterday."

"I liked the part where there was a Wooper with a top hat." Mac speaks up, sounding half-serious as he wears a humorous smile.

I then look over to see Sammy glaring at me and Fia with sharp eyes, approaching us.

"You two met Sparks and Violet and you didn't even _tell me?!"_ She exclaims, raising her claws in anger.

"W-wait, what?! Do you know them or something?!" I protest, taking a step back as Fia does the same.

"Whoa, easy there you Apple loving spike ball," Jirachi says in a slightly snarky tone, lifting the Sandslash into the air with Psychic, leaving her struggling helplessly mid-air. He then turns to face me. "Just… don't mind her, alright? She's a feisty girl…"

 _Uh… okay…_

"Ahem!" Ampharos clears his throat aloud, getting all of our attention. "And now that we all know of our predicament, that brings us to what we're going to be doing today! Scouting the area to see if we can locate any other traces of this Dark Matter stuff! We need to make sure we're safe! Scout the other continents if you have to!"

"Do… we have to do that stuff too?" Fia speaks up.

"Well… even if it could be risky, you two have proven your capabilities, so yes!" Ampharos replies. "Just keep yourselves safe, alright? Now everyone, let's do our best out there today!"

 _Looks like that's the dismissal signal…_

"Yeah!" We all cheer, everyone else heading off.

 **A few minutes later, Lively Town**

"Here are your items!" The green Kecleon says to me, putting a bunch of Tiny Reviver Seeds on the wooden stand in front of him as I hand him a pouch of Poké. "Thanks for shopping at the Kecleon Shop! Come again!"

I take the Seeds into my bag and head off to Cafe Connection, where Fia waits for me at a two-seat table where our Oran Berry drinks sit.

"Took you long enough." She says as I prop myself up on the chair, a playful smile in her face.

I smile back, taking a sip of my juice. "Hey, it's not my fault all of _my_ Tiny Reviver Seeds got used up back at Purifying Cave. What made it so that your shopping went faster than mine?"

"Oh, I just went to that shop nearby with the Cofagrigus. He drives a real hard bargain, but he gives really good items!" She then takes a donut-shaped food item from her bag and takes a bite out of it. "I bought this thing called a Mega Donut!"

 _Wait… was that_ _ **all**_ _she bought?!_

"So… what do you think we should do?" Fia asks in between bites of her Mega Donut. "About the whole 'scouting the area', I mean…"

"Well… we could explore the town some more… or head to some other places around the Water Continent… but I'm pretty sure the rest of the Society is already doing that…"

"Right… how about doing that Connection Orb stuff?"

"I don't know…" I say, continuing to sip my Oran Berry juice. I then remember something. "Wait… maybe that Roamer Xatu might know something about this Dark Matter stuff too…"

"But… he's the _Roamer_ Xatu," Fia says, finishing her Mega Donut and now drinking her Oran Berry juice. "He could be flying _anywhere!"_

"I… I know… but still… I really want to find him…" I respond. "Ampharos said that we can scout the other continents if we have to, right? Do you think we'll have to resort to that?"

"Hmm…" Fia assumes a thoughtful expression as she finishes her drink.

"Oh, there you two are!" Before Fia could continue, Mac's voice calls out to us from the cafe's entrance. The two of us turn to see him and Flaps approaching us.

"Were you… looking for us?" Fia asks.

"We were, actually! Shortly after Flaps and I left, Chief called us back because he remembered that a Pelipper flew by and delivered a letter to the Society earlier this morning!" Mac then takes an envelope out of his bag, putting it on our table. "Chief asked me to deliver this letter to you guys. Good thing I found you here before you went exploring or anything."

I take a peek at the envelope to see Fia's name written on it in some sort of semi-sophisticated, semi-crooked handwriting.

 _I think I already have a general idea of who this is from…_

Fia excitedly takes the envelope with a vine and opens it, taking the letter out.

"It's… from Pops!" She says aloud.

"What's it about?" I ask. "Is it about any Dark Matter related occurrences in Serene Village?"

Fia silently eyes the letter, scanning it. "No, actually. He just wanted to say hi, say how much he misses me, see if I'm doing okay, and was wondering if you've been treating me well, Indigo. I wonder if I should tell him about the wonderful sleep I had with you…"

"Uh… I don't think you should tell him that…" I say, slowly shaking my head. "It'd just give off the wrong vibes…"

"Oh right…" She puts the letter back into her bag. "But it was nice to hear from him. I should write back to him sometime…"

 _Hmm… I wonder if Nuzleaf is considering writing a letter to me…_

 _I hope he does… he's the only parent figure I have… I mean, even if I only knew him for a few days, I still look up to him that way…_

 _I hate being alone… I'm just glad he was there and willing to take me in when I needed it…_

 _I guess I should wait for the letter… I wouldn't want to bother him by troubling him with a random letter out of nowhere…_

I sigh aloud, suddenly realizing I've been staring at the table, deep in thought. Fortunately, neither Fia or Mac noticed. As for Flaps… I can never really tell since he pretty much has googly-eyes.

"So…" I speak up, making Fia and Mac face me. "I guess there's isn't any Dark Matter related stuff happening in Serene Village from how tame that letter was… looks like there's no need to scout there…"

"Oh…" Fia takes a disappointed tone. "There goes our potential excuse to go there… so… where do we go then?"

"You two can tag along with us if you'd like," Mac speaks up, reminding me that he still hasn't left the room. "I'm actually planning on heading to the Air Continent. Wanna come?"

"Well… it's not like we have anything else to do… other than just sit here…" I say, now remembering I still have some Oran Berry juice. I quickly finish it.

"I've never been to another continent before!" Fia responds, sounding excited. "I wanna come!"

"Alright," Mac smiles at us. "Follow me. I'll lead you two to the Lapras Travel Liner and inform Ampharos about our departure."

Fia and I proceed to jump off of our stools and follow Mac and Flaps out of the cafe, but before I head out I stop when I catch a glance of three familiar figures sitting (well, two of them were hovering) by a table at the farther end of the room.

 _Wait a second… haven't I seen those three befor-_

"Let's get a move on, Indigo!" Before I could finish my thought, Fia grabs my paw and drags me out.

 **Author's POV**

Meanwhile, on the other end of the room, Sheriff Magnezone holds his Mega Donut with a magnet, dipping it into his glass of brewed Chesto Berry drink. He then lifts the Chesto Berry-doused donut to his mouth…

… only for the Mega Donut to fall from his magnet and onto the table because he doesn't actually have a mouth.

"SH-SHERIFF MAGNEZONE, HOW MANY MORE TIMES ARE YOU GOING TO TRY TO EAT THAT?" Deputy Magneton beeps, still having that nervous ring to it. "YOU'VE BEEN LEAVING MEGA DONUT CRUMBS AND CHESTO BERRY STAINS ALL OVER THE TABLE!"

"NONSENSE, DEPUTY! BESIDES, BETTER THE TABLE THAN MY PRECIOUS HAT, BZZT!" Sheriff Magnezone beeps back, trying to eat the Mega Donut once more, only to end up with the same result. "PLUS, I DESERVE THE LUXURY OF A MEGA DONUT NOW THAT WE'VE FINALLY FINISHED TAKING CARE OF THOSE POLIWRATH HOOLIGANS AT SERENE VILLAGE!"

Magneton just remains silent, staring at Magnezone's useless attempts to eat the Mega Donut. Smeargle takes notice of Magneton's tired expression and gives him a reassuring nod.

Smeargle waves his tail like a wand and ends up teleporting Magnezone, slapping him with his tail from behind. Quickly teleporting back to his seat while Magnezone turns around to see who slapped him, Smeargle quickly snatches the Mega Donut and eats it all in one gulp, washing it down with the Chesto Berry drink.

"EGAD!" Magnezone beeps once he's turned back to face the table. "WHOEVER MUST'VE HIT ME MUST'VE STOLEN MY MEGA DONUT AND DRANK MY CHESTO BERRY DRINK!"

Magneton and Smeargle simply stay silent, looking disinterested with Magnezone's situation, but Magneton manages to cast a grateful glance at Smeargle that says "Thanks, that stuff had been bothering me for a while now".

"ARGH… AND AFTER THE POLIWRATH TROUBLE AT SERENE VILLAGE LEFT ME TIRED OUT, TOO!" Magnezone beeps, sounding irritated.

Smeargle and Magneton then face their boss.

"ER… PARDON ME FOR ASKING, BUT IF SERENE VILLAGE LEFT YOU TIRED, THEN WHY DID WE HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY TO LIVELY TOWN TO HAVE OUR CAFE CONNECTION BREAK?" Magneton beeps.

"WHY, SIMPLE, DEPUTY MAGNETON!" Magnezone beeps, a proud ring starting to emit. "FOR PLOT CONVENIENCE, OF COURSE!"

Smeargle then places a bag he's been carrying onto the table and clears his throat, as if meaning to attract attention.

"OH, RIGHT!" Magnezone beeps once he notices the bag. "YOU SEE, DEPUTY MAGNETON, WE _ACTUALLY_ CAME HERE TO SHOW THE EXPEDITION SOCIETY THESE REPORTS SMEARGLE MADE WHEN WE WENT CONTINENT HOPPING! APPARENTLY THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT…"

"SO… THAT RANDOM IDEA YOU HAD TO GO AROUND CONTINENT TO CONTINENT UNTIL STOPPING AT THE WATER CONTINENT ACTUALLY HAD _REASON_ BEHIND IT?" Magneton beeps with a hint of surprise.

Magnezone slowly turns left and right, a movement mimicking the action of shaking one's head. "IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY REASON BEHIND IT. IT WAS FOR THE SAKE OF FUTURE _CONVENIENCE!"_ Magnezone beeps the last word at a higher volume, as if emphasizing it.

"YOU'RE… REALLY PROUD OF EVERYTHING JUST SO HAPPENING TO BE CONVENIENT… AREN'T YOU?"

"I'M NOT JUST PROUD OF IT!" Magnezone beeps. "I _LIVE_ FOR THE SAKE OF CONVENIENCE! AND SPEAKING OF, NOW THAT MY FOOD AND DRINK HAVE GONE MISSING, WE BETTER GET BACK TO OUR _OH SO_ CONVENIENT TASK OF GETTING THESE REPORTS TO THE EXPEDITION SOCIETY!"

Magnezone hovers off of his seat and towards the cafe's entrance, leaving Magneton and Smeargle both dumbfounded and confused.

"DON'T WORRY…" Magneton breaks the silence, noticing Smeargle's confusion. "EVEN I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT HE MEANS BY ALL THIS CONVENIENCE STUFF… LET'S JUST GO AFTER HIM."

 **Lapras Travel Liner, Fia's POV**

After following Mac and Flaps across a short wooden bridge east of Lively Town, we find ourselves at a grassy dock-like area, a large lighthouse standing tall next to the wooden dock where several Water type Pokémon seem to be waiting in the water.

One minute of watching Mac put his Expedition Gadget to his ear (he has ears under that shell?) later, the Chespin finally removes his badge from the device, puts the Expedition Gadget back into his bag, and turns to face us.

"Looks like Ampharos gave us the green light. We're set to head to the Air Continent," He says. " _But,_ we'll have to be back here in two days."

"Two days? Are we having a mini vacation there or something?" Indigo asks.

"You… really haven't traveled to another continent, have you?" Mac replies, giving Indigo a slight leer. "I might as well tell you how this is going to work. Today, we'll be going to spend the rest of the day heading to the Air Continent. Due to travel times, we'll be there by tomorrow. Once this tomorrow strikes, we'll spend _that_ day scouting the Air Continent. Once we're done, we'll quickly head hack here by travel, the time taken causing another day to pass. That means we'll be here again two days from now. Do you understand?"

"Uh… sure…" Indigo responds.

"We really are taking our time with this…" I add. "Can't we just go already?"

"I was about to get to that. Follow me." Mac says, walking towards the dock.

We follow him onto the dock to see a group of Mantine in the water.

"Oh. Hello," One of the Mantine greets us with a quiet tone. "Want to go somewhere?"

"We do… but… where's… everyone else?" Mac asks the Mantine. "You know, everyone else who's supposed to help with Pokémon transport?"

"Oh. They're all gone," The Mantine replies. "All the Wailord are off doing important transports for… important Pokémon, I guess… all the Sharpedo are off performing their quick swimming transports early since, well, unlike all the others, they can't stay up because they like their sleep… and as for our boss Lapras, she's still busy coming home from transporting some 'acquaintances' of hers last night…"

"Oh… guess you Mantine will have to do…" Mac replies.

"Oh. So what underwater cave would you like to go to?"

"We… actually need to go to the Air Continent…" Mac replies.

"Oh. Well, sure, I can manage," The Mantine replies still bearing that timidly quiet monotone voice. It then turns away from us and spreads its 'wings'(those are wings right?). "Hop on."

The four of us hop onto the Mantine, and I wobble a bit from adjusting to the water below me. Fortunately, Indigo grabs my hand to help me balance, even if he started staggering as well.

Mantine slowly starts moving forward, gliding smoothly over the water.

"Oh. Make yourselves comfy. I'm no Sharpedo, so we should be at the Air Continent by tomorrow…" He says. "Don't worry. I'm not going to stay this slow. Just give me a while to pick up my speed."

I notice Mac stretch a bit before lying down on Mantine, Flaps falling over next to him as they both stare at the sky.

I look up at the sky as well, taking in the peaceful silence of the wind and water around us. I take a deep breath, sitting down on the Mantine as I feel pleasant calmness come over to me. Still holding my hand, Indigo sits down next to me, staring at the sky up above. I can't help but stare at his wondrous eyes for a bit before looking up at the sky… I don't know why.

But one thing I do know, with me ad Indig sitting like this, under the calming blue sky, the wind gently passing by, the peaceful silence…

… it's romantic. And in an odd way… I'm okay with it. I don't mind.

If only I can stay like this with him forever…

 **The next morning, somewhere in the Air Continent, Author's POV**

In a rather secluded forest section of the peaceful Air Continent, a portal opens, except instead of bearing the dark colour of a time portal, this one had more of a bright glow to it. A Latios and a Latias levitate out of the interdimensional portal, looking exhausted.

"Brother… are we there yet?" The Latias asks, panting as she leans against a tree, tightly gripping a Looplet of some sort.

The Latios looks around, scanning the area with his psychic energy. Shortly after, a triumphant smile comes across his face. "Sister… we're home. We're finally back in our dimension."

"Yes! About time we made it back!" The Latias exclaims, her exhausted tone peeking up to glee. "Do you think everyone else managed to make it back to their dimensions? Including the Manaphy?"

"I hope so… though… it's a shame what happened to the Sightseer accompanying the Manaphy…" Latios responds, sounding serious. "It was such a painful way to go, too… Hopefully the last portal he made got the Manaphy back safe…"

The Eon twins' discussion is then interrupted when a large winged figure hiding amongst the trees lets loose a large purple laser at them, barely missing them as it ends up knocking down a tree instead.

"Sister, we're under attack!" Latios exclaims, tucking in his arms as he flies up. "We need to flee!"

Latias assumes her flying stance as well and follows, heading up into the sky. However, the larger winged figure darts up into the sky, ready to take pursuit.

"You're not getting away!"


	17. 17: Lacking Leads

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 17 - Lacking Leads**

 **Author's POV**

Latios and Latias still continue flying around the Air Continent, the large dark winged figure still pursuing them.

"Sister! Come on, don't stop!" Latios yells, glancing behind him to see Latias starting to tire out and slow down.

"Brother… I can't… Just, please… take the Looplet…" Latias replies, holding an arm out to reveal a peculiarly coloured Looplet.

"No," Latios proclaims with a defiant tone, slowing down to match his sister's speed. "After all we've been through, I am not just going to abandon you. We are sticking together."

"Brother…"

Meanwhile, the dark figure flies, but despite his larger size, the Eon twins appear faster than him, even when they've started to slow down.

A voice rings in the figure's head.

" _YoU… dOn'T lEt Me DoWn!"_ A voice sounding like a cacophony of distorted screams yells. " _We NeEd To GeT rId Of ThEsE pOsSiBlE tHrEaTs! I cAn'T rIsK fAiLuRe! AnD gEt ThAt LoOpLeT!"_

The dark figure merely nods in response and starts flapping his large wings in place, readying a red laser attack between his wings. A dark aura then surrounds him, turning the charging red laser a dark, menacing purple.

The now-purple Oblivion Wing shoots towards the Eon twins at an unfathomable speed.

"Sister, watch ou-"

Latios attempts to fly in the way of the laser to prevent it from hitting his sister, but the laser ends up engulfing the two of them completely. The last thing the two of them manage to do before falling completely stiff is cling to each other.

 **Indigo's POV**

 _You know… I can get used to this…_

 _The peaceful silence… just me and Fia…_

 _Even if this is… still debatably very awkward… I like it…_

I then hear a voice call out to me, bringing me back to consciousness.

"... Hey! Hey! I said, _wake up!"_

 _Wait one second that voice isn't Fia's_

I slowly lift my eyelids and look up to see a fraction of the sunshine's bright rays glaring down on me, most of it being blocked off by a large red object held in front of my face.

"You awake?" I hear Mac's voice. "Good. Now go get your hug mate next to you to stop pretending to stay asleep. You guys still haven't eaten since yesterday."

I then realize that my arms are still wrapped around Fia.

 _Looks like that nap we had on the Mantine lasted longer than we thought…_

I let go of Fia and slowly get up, standing up straight on the back of the still-moving Mantine.

"Indigo, noooo…" I look over to Fia to see her eyes still closed, lying down right next to where I was. "Come back heeeeeere… I need your furrrrrrr…"

 _Now I'm not sure if she wants to hug me or skin me…_

I can't help but quietly chuckle at Fia's failed attempt at convincing sleep talking, but at the same time feel embarrassed upon remembering that Mac's still there, listening.

I slowly bend over and gently shake her. "Fia… come on, rise and shine… Mac says we need to eat…"

She groans some more before yawning, then gets up.

"So… are we there yet?" She still wears that sleepy tone of hers as she rubs her eyes. "I'm hungry…"

"Yes, that's what these Big Apples I brought are for." Mac says with a slightly irritated tone as he hands Fia the Big Apple.

"Fine…" She takes a bite out of the Big Apple as Mac hands one to me.

The two of us sit down on Mantine as we eat. We then notice Flaps just standing still, staring out at something in the sky.

 _Okay… what's he staring at?_

"Oh. Are you all awake now?" I hear Mantine ask, reminding me that he's still here, swimming. "We're almost at the Air Continent."

I look ahead to see the sight of land and civilization in the distance, a dock resting right by the large grassy hill leading to what looks like a town.

"Whoa… that looks just like Lively Town…" Fia says, sounding in awe. "Except… it looks more natural… and grassy…"

"I guess that's what differs Baram Town from Lively Town…" Mac says. I notice him glancing at a map before putting it in his bag and looking ahead.

"So this is what it's like to travel to a different continent…" I mutter. "I… can get used to this type of traveling…"

"Is the rest of the Air Continent like this?" Fia asks, turning to face Mac.

"Well, I'd say it's more like the Water Continent," Mac responds, walking over to the still-staring Fletchling. "According to my map, the Air Continent is known for its two major settlements, each with their own docks. The one we're going to is Baram Town, and the other is a smaller yet still well-known area called the Pokémon Square, but its dock is much farther away than Baram Town's."

"Oh. Pokémon Square? Did you want to go there?" Mantine speaks up. "Sorry… I don't swim very fast… so I just wanted to get you to the closest dock."

"No, no, we're fine…" Mac says, patting Mantine on the head.

"H-Hey Mac! L-Look, i-it's me!" Flaps suddenly yells, hopping in an excited fashion as he remains gazing up at the sky.

"Wait… what?" I ask, looking up to where he's staring.

"Wait a second…" Mac says as he looks up as well. "He's not talking about seeing himself…" He points up at the sky. "Look! Someone's crashing!"

I squint, gazing to where Mac's pointing, and sure enough, I manage to make out a figure heading down from the sky into a forested area of some sort.

"Hey! Something really is crashing! It looks like it was flying, too!" Fia points out.

"Okay, _that_ is suspicious activity!" Mac adds. "Definitely something we have to investigate! Everyone, prepare for some exploring!"

What drowsiness I still have is then converted to diligence at the sound of Mac's command. I quickly finish my Big Apple and take my Looplet out of my bag, putting it on.

 _Looks like this really is going to be another important looking exploration…_

 _But now for the real question… who was that crashing figure? And why was he or she crashing, anyway?_

 **Baram Town, Author's POV**

A large circular plaza surrounded by several buildings and shops rests atop a grassy hill, its composition, building placement, and lively atmosphere similar to that of Lively Town's plaza, except bearing a more natural and outdoor presence. What peaceful presence around the area is now interrupted when a distant crashing noise surprises all the Pokémon passing by.

"Yes! You see that? It crashed!" A Ledian yells, holding a pair of binoculars in two of his four hands. "Come on, I saw it! Now you _gotta_ believe me!"

However, no one pays attention to the Bug Flying type Five Star Pokémon (more like zero stars, am I right?) and continue gossiping amongst themselves regarding the crash. The Ledian sighs in a mix of slight frustration and disappointment.

"Why does no one ever pay attention to what I say…" He mutters.

Several hurried footsteps add to the sound of the gossipped commotion as Mac, Flaps, Indigo, and Fia rush up the grassy hill and past the plaza's entrance archway.

"Okay… we're here!" Mac says, assuming a commanding tone. "In the nick of time, too! You heard that crash, so more asking around, less sightseeing, okay?"

The Ledian, overhearing this, quickly heads over to the four, stopping them before they could split up.

"Hey! Your badges must mean that you're the Water Continent's Expedition Society members, right? I overheard you talking about something to do with a crash!" The Ledian says, sounding hasty.

"Er… yes," Mac replies, bearing the same surprised look as Indigo and Fia, while Flaps just stares cluelessly. "Can you assist us? Do you know anything about the figure that crashed?"

"Yes, actually!" The Ledian responds, showing off his binoculars as his hasty tone perks up to show slight excitement. "I saw the figure through my binoculars and everything!"

"Wait… you saw it up close and everything?" Indigo speaks up. "What did it look like?"

"Well… it was moving fast since it was crashing, so I didn't leave me a lot of time to get a good look at it… and its colour didn't make it look like any Pokémon I could recognize…" Ledian replies. "But I do remember seeing it have wings…"

"Did you see where it crashed?" Fia asks.

"Let's see… from the angle it was falling… I think it landed in Mystical Forest!" Ledian answers.

Mac takes a quick look at his map, then puts it back into his bag.

"Alright, Mystical Forest, got it!" Mac says. "There should be a path leading there through that archway ahead! Let's go, team!"

"Wait, wait, _wait!"_ The Ledian yells, stopping them once again. "Let me go with you!"

"Erm… excuse me?" Mac responds, sounding confused. "I… don't think we can just bring some random Pokémon along on our exploration… this is starting to look like a really important and possibly really dangerous one, after all…"

"Yes, that's the point!" The Ledian then puts his binoculars in a bag of his own and gets down on his knees, pressing his four hands together in a pleading fashion. "Please, please, _please_ let me go with you! I'm just a Ledian who's constantly searching for answers to myths and all that stuff, but everyone here just thinks I'm a lunatic who's just trying to come up with tall tales for the papers! I'm not even affiliated with the papers or anything… yet! But maybe if I join you on this _official_ exploration and find something, then these folks will finally view my credibility! So please let me go with you!"

Mac, Indigo, and Fia are all left standing wide-eyed and surprised (with Flaps just staring off in the distance as usual) at the Ledian's rather overwhelming spiel.

"Um… well… what do you two think?" Mac suddenly asks, turning to face Indigo and Fia.

"Oh… uh… us?" Fia asks, sounding just as confused. "Well… sure, I guess…"

"I mean, I don't see why not…" Indigo adds with a shrug.

"Yes! Thank you! I'll try my best not to drag you down!" The Ledian says, immediately assuming a more dignified stance. "Dewey the Ledian, at your service! I assure you, you will _not_ regret your decision!"

"We'll… see about that," Mac replies, sounding unconvinced. He takes his map out of his bag. "How about you start by leading us to Mystical Forest?"

"Right, right!" Dewey takes a map out of his bag and starts hovering with his wings. "Come on, follow me!"

 **Some time later, Mystical Forest, Indigo's POV**

Mystical forest is… quite the place.

 _Trees, grass, occasional item lying around… this place sure is peaceful… Well, as peaceful as a forest can get… I still need to be on guard in case a hostile Pokémon decides to ambush us or something… This place still has that 'mystery dungeon' feel that I somehow recognize…_

I take a deep breath as I continue following everyone else through a grassy pathway, taking in the peaceful and fresh air. I let out a satisfied sigh.

 _I guess I can understand why Fia's frolicking right now as if this place is some sort of paradise… this place has quite the atmosphere… but now I have a question on my mind…_

"So… Dewey?" I speak up. "I have a question."

"Yes, yes, Indigo, was it?" He replies, turning to face me from the front of the group. "What's on your mind?"

"Why _is_ this place called Mystical Forest, anyway?" I ask. "I mean, don't get me wrong, the atmosphere here is real nice, but I expected something more… supernatural?"

"Oh, yes, that! You see, this unusually refreshing atmosphere is what made the Air Continent dwellers debate on this mystery dungeon's name," Dewey responds, continuing forward. "However, yours truly decided to investigate this place a while back, and what do you know, this is just a regular old forest mystery dungeon, and the only thing 'mystical' about it is its unusually refreshing atmosphere!"

"Hmm… interesting…" Mac speaks up, looking at the trees around us as Flaps hops along beside him. "It's been a long while before I got to explore a refreshing forest like this…"

"I know, right?" Fia adds, skipping cheerfully beside me. "Let's just hope this peaceful atmosphere isn't ruined by anything drasti-"

Fia's statement is then cut off when a blue vine of some sort sucker punches her from the side, knocking her over. My Fighting type reflexes activate and I manage to catch her before she falls. I look around to see a large Tangrowth emerge from the bushes to my left and block the path ahead.

 _Way to jinx it, Fia…_

"You okay?" I ask her as she groans in pain, still in my arms.

"Oh, don't worry about me!" She replies with a smile. She then stands right back up and stares at the Tangrowth's direction, wearing an angry expression as she takes a battle stance and readies her vines. "Okay, you! I'm the only one here allowed to pull the surprise vine attacks!"

"Looks like we'll have to get this hostile Tangrowth out of the way before we can press onward." Mac says, he and Flaps assuming their battle stances as well.

"Oh! A hostile Pokémon!" Dewey cuts in, hovering in front of us. "Stand back! I'll handle this!"

Before any of us could protest, Dewey flies ahead, fists first, and starts dealing a blinding flurry of Comet Punches at the Tangrowth. He continues his barrage for quite a while, and I kind of expected him to start yelling some battle gibberish from how long he kept up his punch flurry. However, as impressive as Dewey's stamina appears to be, his Comet Punch barrage doesn't even appear to be affecting the Tangrowth _at all._ Rather than flinching, the Tangrowth just appears unimpressed for a while before deciding to slap Dewey away with a vine.

"W-Wait! I can still do this!" Dewey says as he catches himself before he could hit the ground. "I've been told that I have fists of iron, after all!"

 _Okay… that attempt was so embarrassing that even_ _ **I**_ _felt it._

"Yeah… no," I say, deciding to step in front of him. "I think I'll take these matters into my own paws…"

"You know what, I was about to get me and Flaps to start blitzing this guy, but sure, knock yourself out." Mac says to me with a shrug.

I nod back at him and decide to rush forward at the Tangrowth as it sends several blue vines from its arms and body at me. Using several Quick Attack speed bursts, I manage to dodge most of the vines while using my paws to swat away the rest of them. Power jolts through my paw as I pull it back, readying a Force Palm as I reach the Tangrowth. I thrust my paw forward and send the Tangrowth reeling back a bit, only for _another_ invisible blow to strike the Tangrowth again, sending it reeling back even further. I smirk as I glance at my Looplet.

 _Gotta love those Barrage Emeras…_

"Indigo, watch out!" I hear Mac's voice call out to me, and I sidestep just in time to dodge a dashing Flaps speeding towards the Tangrowth with a multicoloured-glowing beak.

Flaps quickly circles around the Tangrowth with blinding speed before perching on its head and repeatedly pecks down at a speed I can only describe as jackhammer-like, making the Tangrowth wince in pain. Several small chunks of dirt start to lift up from the ground and combine to form rock-like shapes, an attack I recognize to be an Ancient Power from the Tangrowth, probably aimed towards Flaps.

I quickly destroy some of the Ancient Power rocks using several Focus Blasts, my accuracy boosted by two of my other Emeras. Mac pitches in by destroying several of the other Ancient Power chunks with exploding Seed Bomb projectiles. I notice Fia's vines grab the rest of the Ancient Power projectiles and smash them against the Tangrowth. I then notice Flaps start to slow down his pecking as the glow in his beak starts to fade. Seeing this, the Tangrowth swats the now-tired looking Fletchling away with a vine. Mac quickly rushes forward to catch him, but he's sent reeling back towards us when the Tangrowth strikes him with a glowing green arm.

"Urgh…" Mac groans, starting to stagger. "That Power Whip really hurt… If only I rushed in head first instead of just running in on impulse…" He then turns to face me and Fia. "You two! I'll need you two to lend me power via Alliance Attack!"

"Wait, what?!" Fia protests. "But you just got hit by a really powerful blow! Do you really wanna rush back in there?! You sure you don't want an Oran Berry or something?"

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing!" Mac responds, starting to raise his voice.

"O-Okay, okay!" I yell back, his raising voice giving me slight panic. "Let's… just do as he says, okay Fia?"

"Fine…"

I ready a Focus Blast over my paw and quickly concentrate to turn it into an Alliance Attack Orb as Fia does the same with a Leaf Tornado. We both give them to Mac, who fuses them with his paws.

"Alright, good! Go check on Flaps, I'll deal with the Tangrowth!" Mac says, his paws now curling up to fists as they bear a multicoloured glow.

"I got him!" Dewey calls out to us, carrying Flaps in his arms as he hovers towards us. "I already fed him a Reviver Seed from my bag, but he suggested on sleeping for some reason…"

As Fia and I run back to Dewey, I glance back at Mac to see him blocking off another Power Whip blow with his the green part of his head, the blow bouncing off as if it were just a pebble, dazing the Tangrowth in the process. Mac then takes the opportunity to lunge at the Tangrowth with his glowing fists. The two blows send the Tangrowth reeling back, this time sending it towards the wall and making it fall over.

 _Whoa… Mac really is stronger than he looks…_

He then walks over to us, looking much more rejuvenated.

"Glad that's over with…" He says, a satisfied smirk on his face. "I would've just used Synthesis to regain my energy, but I rather would've done it with the stylish Drain Punch finish… So, is Flaps alright?"

"He's… sleeping, apparently," Fia replies. "At least… that's what Dewey said. Is this normal?"

"Oh. Yeah, that's normal," Mac answers. "He tends to get quite tired after using an Alliance Attack. But I guess that's a good enough trade-off for how blindingly fast his pecking can be. I'll just… carry him from now on…"

Dewey then hands Flaps over to Mac, who puts him onto his back, and then hovers ahead.

"Alright, turns out that Tangrowth was blocking the path to the staircase!" He says excitedly. "This is the eighth staircase we've come across! We should be at the end any second now!"

"About time!" Mac speaks up, taking a triumphant tone. "Time to finally see what's the deal with that crashing figure!"

Something about Mac's rallying tone gets me perked up, excitement now building up inside me as me and Fia rejoin the other three and slowly start heading towards the enclosed grassy path at the end of the room.

"Almost there…" I hear Fia mutter. "In a way, I'm excited… but at the same time, I just hope we'll get answers…"

"Answers… to what?" I whisper back. "The crashing?"

She looks at me with that playful smile of hers. "No, silly… Answers about you…"

"Oh… right…" I let out a quiet chuckle, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I… really need to stop forgetting about that…"

She simply responds with a giggle.

Our conversation then cuts off from there, but just as it does, it hits me how often I forget to focus on worrying about my past when Fia seems to be thinking about it most of the time.

 _I… guess that shows how much she cares about me…_

I smile at the realization.

 _In a way… I care about her like that, too… I just don't know if I've been able to show it…_

I decide to look over to her and hold her hand. She looks at me, responding with that usual cute smile as if she expected it. Fortunately for us, there was no one to see us in our little moment since we were walking at the back of the group, but even if there were others to catch us in an act like this, I wouldn't mind.

 **Author's POV**

The end of the vast Mystical Forest lies a grassy forest clearing surrounded by the towering trees. However, rather than just being your usual empty forest area, this area is made to feel roomy by its peaceful atmosphere and the looming shade provided by the trees, while still allowing for a gentle breeze to pass by every now and then. But this time around, this clearing's mythically serene atmosphere is disturbed by a wide ray of sunshine shining through a hole up above where a certain figure sped through and crashed, creating a large but shallow crater in what was once a grassy center.

"Here we are…" Dewey says, being the first to enter the area. His attention is then caught by the large crater indented into the ground, which he quickly flies towards. "Whoa… you need to get a look at this!"

-The other three run into the area and follow Dewey, heading down into the crater to see him marveling at a large grey figure of some sort.

"This stone statue…" Dewey remarks, running a hand over the smooth rocky texture of a wing. "... it's… amazing! This stone craftsmanship is like nothing I've ever come across in terms of artifacts! The attention to detail in the Eon Twins' features, from how it looked like the Latias was holding something to their despaired expressions!"

Indigo, Mac, and Fia all start walking around the crater as well, inspecting the 'stone statue' from several different angles.

"Wait… this is a statue of Latios and Latias, correct? What is a statue like this doing here anyway?" Indigo speaks up, inspecting the pained face of the Latios part of the statue. "Did it fall out of the sky or something?"

"That could be a possibility, sure." Dewey replies, inspecting the wings some more. "Maybe Arceus didn't like it and sent it down here."

"This attention to detail really is amazing…" Mac comments, looking at how the figures of Latias and Latios seem to cling to each other. "And the texture seems undisturbed, which is impressive since this thing fell from the sky, no doubt… It's impressive… maybe too impressive…"

"Right you are." The group of four suddenly hear a gruff male voice and look up from the crater to see an Entei looking down at them from above the crater, the white part of his fur flowing in the wind as his gaze leaves an authoritative impression on all of them.

"W-Wait…" Dewey says, starting to rummage through his bag for some blank papers and a pen. "So not only did you just say that this statue is the real Eon Twins _somehow_ turned to stone, but just as you say that, Entei appears?! I need to take notes on this!"

"You four," Entei says, still bearing his composed tone. "Name your purpose for coming here, or I will attack."

"W-Wait? Attack?!" Fia blurts out, defensive and somewhat offended at the sudden threat.

"Do you… own this forest or something?" Mac speaks up, sounding unfazed. "Because last time I remember, legendary Fire types like you don't reside in grass-filled forests like these…"

"That's because I went forest hopping. I need to talk to Celebi," Entei replies. "It looks like I got the wrong forest, since he isn't here, but it looks like I managed to find something else that is worthy of my attention…"

"Tut tut tut…" Dewey remarks as he shakes his head, his eyes focused on the paper he's writing on. "Not even legendary Pokémon are exceptions to mistaking this place for someplace supernatural and of high importance…"

"Enough!" Entei stomps a paw on the ground, his voice raising. "I thought I was the one asking here. Now, what is your purpose of coming here? Were you the ones who turned the Eon Twins to stone and came here to pick up your winnings?"

"What? You're accusing us?!" Indigo responds, standing defensively in front of Fia to stop her from doing anything reckless. "But how would Pokémon like us turn legendary Pokémon like Latios and Latias to stone?! What would we possibly gain from that?!"

Entei narrows his eyes, his stare starting to grow harsh.

"Don't play dumb with me. I know that there's more to certain Pokémon than meets the eye. Tell me, little Riolu. If you aren't here to pick up your winnings, then _why doesn't Latias have her Looplet?!"_

"Wait… what?" Mac speaks up. "Is that why the Latias looked like she used to be holding something? Trust me, you've got the wrong Pokémon. These Looplets we're wearing, they're all normal. If you'd like, you can rummage through our bags just in case you still don't trust us."

"No," Entei replies with a sneer. "I know your type."

"Uh… Grass?" Fia chimes in with a slight smirk.

"Not that. I know what type of tactic you're trying to pull," Entei responds. "You're trying to lure me into false security by trying to convince me to trust you even the smallest bit. I'm not falling for it."

' _Geez… someone's paranoid…'_ Mac thinks, starting to feel irritated.

"And… done!" Dewey speaks up, putting several papers that he's just finished writing on back into his bag. "Notes taken, Eon Twins and all! Shall we… uh… take our leave now? We _are_ done here, right?"

"I'm afraid I cannot allow you to leave," Entei then stomps a paw on the ground, creating a circle of fire that slowly grows in size around the Pokémon in the crater. The intensity of the flame resonates with a mystical-looking Looplet around one of Entei's paws. "Admit to your crime, and maybe I'll be more merciful when I Fire Spin you all to a crisp."

"I beg your pardon?!" Dewey exclaims. "I assure you, we have nothing to do with this incident! Just investigating the scene, that's all!"

"Okay, now I'm fed up!" Entei yells. He then starts to charge up the orange orb of a Flamethrower over his mouth. "I'll get rid of you troublemakers once and for all!"

"Yep, now seems like a really great time to book it!" Mac exclaims, quickly taking an Escape Orb out of his bag. He gets ready to smash it against the ground, but the Fire Spin circling around them intensifies, engulfing the Escape Orb in Mac's paws and burning it to nothing. "It's… too hot… the Fire Spin's surrounded us to the point where it's closing in on us…"

"I… think I know what to do!" Fia cries out, sounding slightly exhausted as she emerges behind Indig, readying a Leaf Tornado. "The only way out is up!"

"Wait, wait, Fia what are you doi-" Indigo protests, but before he could finish, Fia enlarges her Leaf Tornado and falls behind in it, making it even larger as she brings everyone else into its center with her.

"Everyone… hold on!" Fia exclaims.

With one more burst of concentration, Fia manages to use the Leaf Tornado to shoot all of them up and out of the large Fire Spin, firing them away from Entei's Flamethrower in the process. They all end up hovering mid-air as they all cling to a staggering but still-flying Dewey.

"Did we… lose him?" The Ledian asks, struggling to stay in flight.

His question is answered when a Flamethrower flies past him, barely missing the group.

"Entei's still on our track!" Indigo exclaims, looking down at the forest to see Entei looking up at them, running.

"Can you… please do something about it?" Mac asks, struggling to keep his grip on Dewey's leg, his bag, and Flaps. "My paws are kinda full here…"

"Uh…" Indigo thinks for a second, clinging to Dewey's other leg. "Wait, Fia! Can you use your vines to get me an item out of my bag?"

"Got it!" The Snivy, clinging to Dewey's arms, responds, and does just that, handing the Riolu a Wand.

Indigo gets a good grip on the Wand with a paw, recognizing it as a Petrify Wand. He then waves it and sends a projectile his direction. The projectile hits, petrifying Entei in place.

"I got him!" Indigo yells in triumph.

"Good show!" Dewey replies, starting to pick up his pace. "Now, let's get out of here!"

Entei merely growls as he's forced to stand in place and watch the Ledian's figure fly out of sight.

"... Great. Now Suicune's just going to lecture me for ending up in a situation like this when I shouldn't have even left my volcano… and by Pokémon like them, no less…"

He sighs.

"And I thought I was finally going to be able to find a lead on these sudden attacks that turn Pokémon to stone… guess desperation and paranoia got to me again… Looks like I'll have to head back to Pokémon Square's dock and head home on Wailord feeling _very_ unsatisfied…"

 **Hours later, Baram Town's Plaza, Fia's POV**

 _We just ran away from an Entei._

 _We just ran away from an Entei._

The sheer thought of it just lingers in my mind, leaving me full of adrenaline but at the same time leaving me almost speechless. The whole excitement of the situation left me astonished to the point where I didn't even notice the sky start to darken.

 _We just ran away from an Entei._

 _And survived!_

"Uh… Fia?" Indigo's voice snaps me out of my trance. "We're here."

I quickly look around to see that we're back in Baram Town's plaza, except now it's much darker with less Pokémon casually strolling around the area. I then realize I'm still in Dewey's grip until he sets me down on the ground. I adjust my bag's strap to make sure my bag's still with me.

"Are… we in the clear now?" I ask.

"We should be safe," Dewey responds. "You did leave him petrified in the middle of Mystifying Forest after all. He'll recover from it in a few hours, sure, but by then I'm sure that whatever irrational mindset he had when accusing us will have gone by now."

"Looks like that's that," Mac says, turning to face the way out of the town and to the dock. "Alright you two, let's go."

"Wait! I'd just… like to thank you for letting me tag along with you, and apologies for my unforgivable battling performance," Dewey says with a weak chuckle. "But, thanks to you, now I have notes! I'll be sure to spread the news and rumours, and hopefully Pokémon will start believing me and listening to me for once!"

He flies off excitedly as we all wave to him.

 _Let's just hope his writing is much more hard hitting than his punches…_

 **Later, somewhere in the middle of the ocean**

After we made our way to the dock, we managed to get a ride from a rather… sleepy looking Lapras. Once we hopped on, ate some Apples, and prepared to hit the hay, Mac decided to take out his Expedition Gadget and is currently sending a voice message to the Chief about our return or something.

"And now that's that," Mac says after a while, putting his Gadget back onto his bag. He then sets his bag down on the Lapras' shell next to Flaps (who by now is _still_ sleeping) and turns to face me and Indigo. "I've informed the Chief about our return. Now, while you two are still awake, we have to prepare what we're going to say to the Chief once we get back. We have to be prepared, after all."

"Can't we just…" I yawn mid-sentence. "... sleep it off and come up with our report tomorrow?"

"I'm afraid not. I learned enough from this morning to know that once you two conk out," Mac then points at Indigo sitting beside me. "... you are way too much of a deep sleeper, and you," He then points his paw at me. "... do not like to stop pretending to stay asleep just so you can continue hugging him."

"Hey! That's…" I then start to lower my voice when my defensive tone turns embarrassed. "... true, actually…"

"Okay, okay, so where do we start?" Indigo speaks up. "The crashing?"

"Of course," Mac responds, adjusting his glasses in an 'I'm in charge' manner. "Don't forget the Ledian. And the Eon Twins turning to stone. And Entei. And something about Latias missing a Looplet-"

"And how we managed to escaped being burned to ashes!" I cut in, excitement building up in me again as I recall the situation. "We can add that part in too, right?"

"Sure, sure," Mac replies in a half-dismissive tone. "It's best to try to remember every little part and detail, after all. You never know, one of those little details could actually be a very important piece of information."

"So… it was our mission to scout around for anything that could be Dark Matter related, right?" Indigo questions. "Does the Eon Twins turning to stone and falling out of the sky count?"

"It… wouldn't be unreasonable to think so, I assume…" He replies with a shrug. "Maybe Mawile will know something, she is familiar with this type of mythical stuff, after all…"

"It's a plan then…" I say. "So… can we sleep now?"

Mac gives me a stern look, but then lets out a sigh shortly after.

"Fine… Night, you two…"

He then turns away and lies down next to Flaps, leaning against Lapras' neck. I take this opportunity to quickly finish my Apple and carefully set my bag on Lapras' shell, then resting my head against it like a pillow as I lie down, ending up lying down face-to-face with Indigo.

 _Oh… looks like sitting down next to each other meant we had to lie down next to each other too, huh?_

I attempt a little whisper conversation to try to break the awkwardness of the situation.

"So… uh… Dark Matter turning the Eon Twins to stone… do you think it's actually true that Dark Matter did it? And do you think that the scenario is related to what happened in that Purification Cave place somehow?"

"I… guess so," He whispers back. "Shame that today's exploration ended up giving us more Dark Matter questions rather than answers…"

"I really hope this isn't going to be a recurring theme…" I add. "So… Indigo? Is it okay if I ask you another question?"

"Uh… sure."

"Do you think… Dark Matter is related to you somehow? I mean… you know, you ended up here out of nowhere, and not too long after the Dark Matter stuff started happening…"

"But… didn't that Guardian Xatu guy say that Dark Matter was a being of the past?" Indigo responds. "Surely my appearance and the Dark Matter happenings can't be coincidental…"

"What if you are? And all this Dark Matter stuff is actually giving us leads to your past without us knowing it?"

He gives me a kind but sleepy smile that I can't help but adore.

"It touches me how much is on your mind and how much you care… but… let's just sleep before all this thinking deprives us of it."

"Okay… if you say so…" I can't help but smile staring at him like this. I slowly inch myself closer to him, our faces not touching by _this_ much. "But… do you still mind if I-"

He answers my question in advance when he wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer to him, hugging me in such a way that my head is leaning against the fur on his chest.

"I never did mind before, and I probably never will, so don't worry about it… Good night, Fia…"

Even though we've been in this situation a few times before, something about it felt… different. Was it something with the atmosphere? Something inside me? But back to the situation, I slowly wrap my arms around him as well and continue leaning my head against his warm, warm, fur. I think my face started to get warm as well.

 _Am I… blushing? No, no, I can't be… it's probably because of the warmth of Indigo's fur… yeah, let's go with that…_

"Good night, Indigo…"

 **Author's POV**

As Lapras' four passengers all doze off, the Water Ice type herself tries to keep herself from doing so. She starts to feel envious hearing the quiet snoring of her snoozing passengers.

' _Okay, after this trip, I am_ _ **definitely**_ _going to take a day off…'_ She thinks. ' _First those two back-to-back trips with those Grass Continent Pokémon with the Manaphy, and now this trip with these Expedition Society Pokémon… And I don't know if I'm hearing things, but I've heard both batches talk about some Dark Matter stuff or whatever… The last time I ever heard mysterious and unexplained stuff like this that my Sightseer brother would get was when I still had those private talks with that Meowstic… I must be hearing things. I need to sleep soon… too bad I can't just find a shelter in the middle of the night and rest there…'_

 **Somewhere on the uncharted areas of the Grass Continent**

' _Another night, another attempt at trying to find suitable shelter without getting noticed and swarmed by any Pokémon that just so happen to be passing by. I really need to find a way to make that ring somehow…'_

With the moonlight shining high in the dark blue night, the dimly glowing pink and yellow figure of a Cresselia levitates amongst the thick trunks of trees.

' _Maybe I should try finding a different cave to sleep in…'_ She thinks. ' _I mean, I can only hide in these uncharted areas for so long…'_

As the Psychic type continues levitating from one tree to another, her attention is then caught by a small but bright yellow light that seems to be heading her direction. She reacts panickedly and turns to flee, but stops when she hears a familiar voice.

"Cresselia?"

She turns back to see the source of the voice be a Shinx, the yellow light from before coming from his tail. A Vulpix is seen standing next to him.

"Oh… uh… ahem," Cresselia clears her throat in an attempt to compose herself. "It's been a while, Sparks and Violet. How've you two been doing?"

"We spent the entire day looking for you, Cresselia," Sparks says with a serious tone. "We need to talk to you about something."

"Well, go ahead, I haven't had any visions lately so I'd love to catch up on what's happened with you, Violet, and Chime-"

"Chime's dead," Violet speaks up. "He… needed to be… put down out of existence because of some Dark Matter influence in his mind or something…"

Cresselia's calm composure is toppled when she widens her eyes in shock.

"Do you know anything about this Dark Matter stuff?" Sparks asks.

"Uh… sorry, like I said, I haven't had any visions lately, so I'm still in the dark with all this…" She replies, still overwhelmed by the sudden revelation. "Can you describe more of this Dark Matter stuff to me?"

"Well, Violet and I discussed a bit about it, and we've started suspecting that Darkrai must've had something to do with Chime's 'Dark Matter disease' or something like that," Sparks answers. "Chime only started getting sick after our battle against Darkrai, which is probably what escalated into this Dark Matter influence thing that somehow entered his mind and… led to him being gone."

"What… even is this Dark Matter you've been mentioning, anyway?" Cresselia questions.

"A Xatu told us that it's apparently a being from years ago that terrorized the continent but was defeated…" Violet chimes in. "I… didn't know about this, even if I am somewhat fluent in legends, so I'm not completely sure if it's true…"

"Wait… a being? As in… a non-Pokémon being in the past?" Cresselia responds, realization shocking her.

Sparks nods, already knowing exactly Cresselia's realization is.

"Violet and I deduced this as well," He continues. "Darkrai must've survived the trip to the past and done something to seamlessly incorporate his actions into the future while turning himself into this Dark Matter being that's coming back somehow…"

"This… is bad," Cresselia responds, slowly trying to calm herself down. "Not only did Darkrai survive and is trying to bring himself back, but I didn't get any visions that could help us deal with this current threat!"

"Neither do we…" Violet adds. "We thought you might be able to help us, but…"

"Don't you worry," Cresselia perks up, taking a more authoritative tone. "Starting now, I'll put extra effort into trying to get visions that can help us! Thank you for telling me this. If you ever want to come see me again to update me in case anything more happens, just know that you can almost always find me here.

"Noted," Sparks says, taking out his map and using his badge to cast a holographic projection of it. "I'll be sure to mark it down… but before we go, there's one more thing I'd like to ask about."

He sets his map and badge down on the ground and points his paw towards Cresselia's left wing, a peculiarly coloured Looplet of some sort wrapped around the pink crescent.

"What's that? I've seen some of the Water Continent Pokémon wearing those things, but I never really understood what they're for…"

"This? It's an Air Looplet," Cresselia replies, turning around so that the two can get a better look at it. "It's been a possession of mine for quite a while that I bring from time to time. It has other uses, mainly in mystery dungeons, but I mostly bring it because wearing it helps me feel calm."

"Well… uh… alright then," Sparks picks up his badge and map and places them back. "Anyways, we… better get back now… It's late, and Ninetales is still busy keeping our daughter company while we're gone…"

"Oh… right…" Violet says with a yawn. "Bye, Cresselia…"

The two sleepy quadrupes proceed to take their leave through a bush, leaving Cresselia to on her own to continue breathing heavily.

"Breathe in… breathe out… don't worry, Cresselia, you can do this…" She mutters to herself, feeling the effects of the Air Looplet coming over her. She then quickly shakes her head, feeling confident. "Okay. Good. Now to get to starting at the moon. Thank goodness I decided to bring my Air Looplet with me tonight, otherwise I'd be panicking… I don't know what I'd do if my Air Looplet was lost or taken from me…"

 **NOTE: Whoa, careful what you say, Cresselia. *Ahem* Salutations, reader! Apologies this chapter took significantly longer to get out(or if it has lackluster quality, school has been depressing and stressful and worrying and lonely and aghhhh). Hopefully you still enjoyed it, because a review would definitely help make my day. But enough about my day, thank you so much for reading this and still sticking around, and I hope you have a good day! :D**

 _-flareon71_


	18. 18: To Think Of What's To Come

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon**

 **NOTE: Salutations, reader. Just putting this note here to inform you ahead of time that I have something important to say at the end of this chapter.**

 **Chapter 18 - To Think Of What's To Come**

 **The next evening, Expedition Society, Author's POV**

"Hmm… so that explains why I was notified via Connection Orb that the Society became acquainted with a Ledian," Ampharos, the rest of the Society members in a group behind him, says in response to Indigo, Fia, and Mac's explanation. "But… I have to ask, what took you so long to get here? We expected you to be here by morning, but it's already evening!"

"Oh… that's because the Lapras that brought us here said she was very sleepy…" Fia speaks up. "We missed out on breakfast and lunch in the process so we just ate on our own…"

"But as a result, we're all out of Apples." Mac adds.

"Well then… this has certainly been an interesting turn of events…" Ampharos comments.

Mawile then steps forward from the group of Expedition Society members behind Ampharos.

"So… you say the Eon Twins were turned to stone and crashed in the Air Continent?" She asks with an insightful tone. "And Entei accused you of turning them to stone and taking a Looplet of some sort when you didn't? What was a legendary Pokémon like Entei doing at the Air Continent, anyway?"

"He… uh… wait," Fia speaks up, but comes up with nothing. She then turns to face Indigo, Mac, and the now-awake-but-idly-staring Flaps. "Did Entei ever say why he was there in that Mystical Forest place or whatever?"

Mac and Indigo both think for a bit, but the latter ends up speaking.

"I… think I remember him mentioning that he was going forest to forest looking for a Celebi…" The Riolu says.

"A Celebi? In the Air Continent? Hah!" Jirachi says, wearing a cocky smirk as he crosses his arms. "He's been looking in all the wrong forests. Trust me, all of us miniature-sized legendaries, minus Manaphy and Mew for some reason, are all in… I guess I can say, cahoots. If you really want to find Celebi, he's in Primeval Forest, but that place is a whole ocean's length away."

"We'll keep that in mind," Mac says. He then faces everyone else. "So how about the rest of you? Did you find anything interesting too?"

"Actually, we did," Ampharos says, his expression and tone now going serious. "Mawile, if you'd please."

"Yes, Chief." She obediently nods and takes some papers out of her bag, handing them to him.

"Thank you," Ampharos starts inspecting each of the papers. "Since the rest of us went to check parts of the other continents, we've learned news about a whole bunch of Pokémon turning to stone. Kyogre, Groudon, Ho-oh, Lugia, the list goes on… and now we have to add the Eon Twins to that list."

"Wait… those are all Legendary Pokémon, right?" Fia asks.

"Correct. Some of these stone reports even mention some of these Pokémon possessing exclusive Looplets of some sort," Ampharos continues. "It's safe to assume that the choice of Pokémon turning to stone isn't just a coincidence. Sheriff Magnezone, Deputy Magneton, and their Smeargle even came over two days ago to give me more reports to prove that this isn't just a series of coincidences. Someone or something is after them."

"Is it… Dark Matter?" Indigo asks.

"There… hasn't been enough solid evidence to prove that yet, but it's the safest bet to assume," Ampharos replies. "All of the witness accounts we've read in these reports either didn't notice the perpetrator or was simply not at the scene entirely. Either these witnesses are just plain terrible at being witnesses, or whoever's behind this is managing to be really stealthy and swift with their killing blows."

"I've already invested any free time I have into looking into this Dark Matter legend," Mawile speaks up. "Even if the general gist of it being a legend about a horrible being failing to take over the world was clear, some parts were very, very vague…"

"All zis stoning is new to me, too… shame zat I could not cut off a piece of stone and examine it to find a cure…" Ludwig says with a dejected tone. "From vat I examined, zose stone figures are impenetrable!"

"The same goes for me, too," Jirachi speaks up, sounding just as lost. "I can't really invent or modify something to fix this if I can't bring a stone statue here for accurate reference. Sure, I could just easily Psychic one here, but I'm pretty sure there's a rule of law somewhere which states that I'm not allowed to do that."

"But, regardless, we will still take action on this, Fortunately, your exploration actually gave us some information we can use," Ampharos says, gesturing to Mac, Flaps, Indigo, and Fia. "This information being actual witnesses and or possible associates. Entei accused you of the Eon Twin incident, did he not? He might know more about these legendary Pokémon incidents if he went as far as assuming you four were the perpetrators. This Celebi he mentioned might know something about this as well…"

"Wait…" Sammy speaks up, the Sandslash's tone growing excited. "Does this mean that we're going to have another big group expedition soon?"

"Right you are," Ampharos turns to face her with a smile. "But let's discuss this later. We did gather here for a specific reason, did we not?"

"To… greet us on our return?" Fia asks.

"Of course not!" Swirlix responds with a hearty laugh. "I just prepared dinner! Let's go, everyone! That food won't eat itself!"

And with that, the sound of stampeding and scrambling footsteps fill the room for a brief moment as all the Expedition Society members rush to the dining room. That is, all of them except Indigo, Fia, and Mac, who are left stunned upon witnessing the act of food enthusiasm that just unfolded.

"They… really like their food, don't they?" Indigo breaks the brief silence.

"You learn to get accustomed to it after a while," Mac says with a slight chuckle. "It won't be long until we join that stampede. Flaps even went on ahead without me, after all…"

A quiet grumbling sound starts to echo around the room, making Indigo and Mac turn to face Fia.

"Okay, okay, you caught me," The Snivy says, embarrassed by her grumbling stomach. "I'm hungry too, so let's go before there's nothing left!"

The other two smile back at the Snivy and nod in agreement.

 **Later, Dining Room, Indigo's POV**

"Mmm… this food is so good…" Fia comments, stuffing some cooked Oran Berries and Mega Donuts into her mouth with her vines. "This definitely beats the Apples we had for breakfast and lunch…"

I let out an 'mmhmm" in agreement, still chewing the cooked bits of soft Gummis (at least that's what I heard Archen call them or something like that) in my mouth.

"Not going to argue with you on that…" I hear Mac say.

Surprised, I turn to my right to see him sitting beside me, taking bites out of some Mega Donuts. I'm not surprised by his remark or his eating, but rather by him sitting beside me. I swallow my bits of Gummi, feeling the chunks and juice refresh me.

"Mac? What're you doing here?" I ask. "I thought you sat beside Fia…"

"Oh. I asked Buizel if we could swap seats for today," He says, finishing the Mega Donut in his paws. "Now to hope he can keep Flaps in control…"

I then look over to my right, past Fia, to see Buizel struggling to stop Flaps from rapid-pecking through the table. I can't help but smile, witnessing the ordeal.

 _Well, looks like Buizel has this all under control…_

Then, remembering what was still on my mind, I turn back to face Mac. "So… _why_ did you ask to switch seats with Buizel?"

He raises an eyebrow at me. "Well, overly suspicious, are we? What are you thinking about? Me somehow resenting Fia leading to me wanting to change seats? Maybe something to do with Buizel wanting to sit beside her and I just made it easier for him?"

He continues giving me that weirdly intimidating look, making me feel uneasy.

"Uh…" I finally bring myself to utter. "Never mind… sorry for asking…"

However, Mac then smiles at me and gives me an arm nudge. "I'm just messing with ya. Don't worry, I'm not out for blood against you or anything. But I like the way you think. It's… familiar to me somehow… But anyways, I actually wanted to talk to you about something. From what I assume, you aren't too experienced in battling, right? You seem to have some of the lowest level of Riolu moves…"

"Well… maybe it's because I _am_ sorta knew to this battling thing…" I reply, turning back to take some cooked Apples while I still can.

"That's what I thought… that is, until I saw you use _Focus Blast,"_ Mac responds, the last two words of his sentence immediately catching my attention. "As far as I know, Riolu don't simply learn that move when they level up… and TMs are _extremely_ rare around the Water Continent… So what's up with that?"

 _Um… well… wait, TM? That… sounds familiar to me… but I don't think that helps me with thinking of a response… Even I don't know how I know Focus Blast…_

I let out a sigh. "Okay… fine… if I'm being honest, I actually don't know why I know Focus Blast…"

He appears surprised for a second, but then gives me a slightly unconvinced look, silent. I try my best not to hide my panic by stuffing more food into my mouth.

 _LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE INDIGO YOU HAD TO COME UP WITH ONE OF THE STUPIDEST RESPONSES_

 _NOW HE'S REALLY SUSPICIOUS AND WON'T STOP STARING AT YOU_

"Hmm… you know what, I'll take your word for it," Mac says, now taking a tone of indifference as he shrugs. "Call me stupid, but I won't bother questioning you further on that."

"Wait…" I would've opened my mouth in surprise if it weren't for the food I just stuffed in it. "... you're… just going to leave it at that?"

"Sure, I guess… I can't exactly blame you for something you don't know…" Mac replies with a shrug, taking some more Apple pieces from the plate in front of him. "And before you ask why, I… have my reasons…"

 _Well… okay then…_

Not sure what to make of Mac's response, I decide to go back to eating what's left on the table. Judging from his silence, I realize that Mac really did mean it when he wanted to leave our conversation at where it was.

 _Okay… is something up with Mac? Even if I barely know him, I know someone like him wouldn't respond like that unless something was up…_

 _But I guess I can't pry into Mac's personal matters right away… after all, I still have other things to worry about…_

I swallow the mix of food chewed up in my mouth and reach for more, but my paw reaches nothing but empty plates. I then look towards the table to see that _all_ of the plates are empty.

 _Oh._

"Well, looks like the food's gone…" Ampharos says from the other side of the table, sounding exhausted.

"I'm going to get to washing the dishes!" Swirlix says, still sounding perked up as she she runs around the table and takes the dishes onto her head.

"The rest of you better get going to your rooms to sleep, now," Ampharos continues, getting up from his seat. "That Entei expedition is coming up, after all…"

I get up off of my chair and hop onto the floor, waiting for Fia to follow, but she ends up staying on her seat, still facing Ampharos.

"Wait… do you think that we're going to have to confront Entei on this upcoming expedition?" Fia says, sounding excited.

 _Looks like she's still excited from how we barely escaped him…_

"Actually… while I haven't come up with the plan yet, I do know that I'll have to split us all into two groups," I hear Ampharos respond. "One to go after Celebi, and the other to go after Entei…"

"Oh! Do Indigo and I get to be part of the group that goes to Entei?" Fia responds, now hopping up excitedly on her chair. I can't help but smile.

 _Whoa, easy there, you don't want to fall off your chair, Fia… I'll just… stand here behind the chair to catch you just in case you do…_

"Actually… now that I think about it, Indigo is perfectly capable of heading to Fire Island Volcano to go after Entei, so he'll definitely be part of that group. He's actually one of the few members here who isn't completely vulnerable to Fire types at least, as far as I know," Ampharos replies to Fia's question, his remark making me feel flattered. "But… as for you, Fia, since you're a Grass type, you'll have to be put in the _other_ group, the one heading towards Celebi."

 _Oh._

Even if I didn't get a good look at her face, I can already sense Fia's disappointment.

"W-What?" She says with a wavering voice, confirming my thought. "B-But-"

"I'm afraid that's enough talk for now," Ampharos cuts off, starting to follow the other Expedition Society members out of the dining room. "Tomorrow's another day for us, after all…"

Everyone else then leaves, leaving just the two of us. Then, after a moment of silence, Fia finally hops off of her chair.

"Let's… just get some sleep, Indigo."

 **Later, Room, Fia's POV**

"... come on, Fia, you don't have to be _this_ upset, right?" Indigo says to me, already lying down on his bed. "Maybe sleeping it out will help you."

"But… I'm still worried…" I respond, still across the room, staring at our picture I've placed on a shelf. "... in… a weird way…"

"Come on, it's probably for the best that you aren't part of the group going after Entei…" He replies. "And… there's probably a good reason Ampharos chose me out of any of the other members to be part of that group… What exactly _are_ you worried about, anyway? The fact that I'm going after Entei… or the fact that you're not?"

I sigh and turn to face him.

"It's just… this sounds like it's going to be our first super important exploration… but, you know, being our first super important one, I kinda wanted to do it with you… that, and… of course, I'm worried about your safety…"

"Well… I understand why you'd want to spend this first real important exploration together… but… I don't think you have to worry about me…" Indigo then yawns. "I mean… there'll be other Expedition Society members with me since I'm going to end up being part of a group… and besides, we dealt with Entei easily back at the Air Continent…"

"But…" I turn back to face him. "What if Entei didn't actually give his full strength back at the Air Continent? What if Entei's home field advantage makes him significantly more dangerous?"

 _What if… something happens to you and I'm not there to help?_ I wanted to blurt out, but ended up keeping to myself.

I notice his eyes widen a bit. "Okay… wow. I know you said you're worried, but… you seem… unusually worried. Please… let's just sleep…"

 _I… I guess I really am being unusually worried about this…_

Feeling slightly defeated, I slowly set my bag aside walk over to my own bed, which is still very close to Indigo's. I find my head brushing up against Indigo's fur once me as he pulls me into a hug.

"Just… try not to think about it, alright?" I hear him whisper to me, sounding gentle.

I slowly hug him back. "I'll try…"

"Alright… good night, Fia…" Indigo slowly dozes off.

"Good night… Indigo…"

I continue leaning my head against his warm fur, its touch slowly soothing me.

 _I don't want to lose this._

 _I never want to lose this._

 **NOTE: A shorter and rather mediocre chapter, but I still hope you got some enjoyment out of this little chapter. But I guess I wanted to get a quickie out there so I can get 'the important thing' out of the way. It's a lot, so I hope you don't mind a long note.**

 **Recently, I started rereading some of my best chapters from Team Fate, and while it was quite an enjoyable reminiscing session, something hit me. Team Fate's story did much better than I ever thought it'd ever do, and thinking about it, I can see why. I'll just save you the trouble of reading about me patting myself on the back and say that it had to do with how much time it took me to really think Team Fate through(more details in my bio, go read that). I realized that Longshot doesn't have nearly as much personality in POV's or the well thought out transitions to plot or how I managed to sprinkle in little bits almost everywhere that not only kept moments true to the game, but made them different enough to make it unique and worth reading. This brings me to the real important part…** _ **and before you start thinking, no I am not canceling this story.**_ **I just need some more time to think over Longshot's plot… to take time to think of a lot of little details to add charm and make every chapter have enjoyable parts that stand out so that the writing doesn't seem lost as if it doesn't know what to do. This will take a while, like it did with Team Fate (again, read my bio), and with school and all making things stressful and occupying my schedule… I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave this story, dare I say it,** _ **on hiatus.**_ **I hope you understand. But don't worry. I'm going to do my best to think over and up my writing quality for future chapters during this hiatus, so you can bet that this story is going to be much better when that happens. Hope that gives you something to look forward to.**

 **So… see you later. Hope you have a good day. :)**

 _-flareon71_


	19. 19: Fireproof

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 19 - Fireproof**

 **?'s POV**

It shall all fall into place in the end.

No matter what happens, the pieces shall fall right in place for us. No more further input required. One by one. It shall all fall into place.

Our time to step in will reveal itself eventually. But first, the bigger threat needs to be neutralized.

It will all play out as planned, despite the unlikely probabilities and unforeseen consequences along the way. The time will come for our input.

The power to see into the past and the future is sufficient to verify my affirmations. Now all that is left is to live through this present. And to let the Harmony Scarves perform their designated tasks… again.

 **Some uncharted area of the Grass Continent, Sparks' POV**

Another night, back to these unnamed areas again. I'd think being a world-renowned explorer would make exploring these uncharted parts trivial, but it seems I'm a bit lost. Perhaps my inveterate dependency on maps is catching up to me.

Or maybe it's the lack of Chime's comments to break the still silence that's making me feel uneasy about this exploration.

 _Chime…_ I quickly shake my head and direct my gaze back to the map in my paws, the paper barely legible from my dimly lit tail.

Whatever the case, it isn't all bad. As usual, I still have my one and only Violet accompanying me on our late-night traversing, which definitely makes me feel less worried about getting lost alone…

… despite how worried she is about our current conversation topic.

"... wait… but do we really have to go there sometime soon?" Her wavering voice breaks the still silence as we traverse through another set of bushes. "C-Can't we just stay the way we are? W-What if that weird voice at the spring isn't actually being honest about evolving us?"

"Violet… we… have to evolve at some point, right? Besides, according to Ninetales, Sammy is living proof that the voice is telling the truth," I say, not even moving my gaze from my map. "Even Mana addressed the situation regarding our evolution… we can't just stay like this forever…"

My attention directs past my map and to the uneven blades of grass being pressed under my paws. Mainly to how close all the other grass is to my face.

… _Why oh why did Mana's suggestion suddenly get me really self-conscious about my height?_

I sigh at the reminder of being vertically challenged, right as an orange paw makes its way to my shoulder.

My gaze lifted from my map, I turn to be met with Violet's pleading eyes.

She hesitates, as if trying to form her words properly first. "But… I don't think I'm ready to evolve yet… Actually… wait… I don't mind if I evolve, but… I'll miss you, Sparks… the Shinx you…"

"Violet…" I cast a faint smile her way and start stroking her cheek. "Shinx, Luxio, Luxray, human… I'll still be me, right? Isn't that… what matters?"

"I… I guess so…" She still has that unsure frown on her face.

I stare at her face longingly, trying to take in every subtle detail, her pure expression matching the soft yellow glow allowing me to see her. Everything from her consistently kept fur to her endearing stare… after all we've been through, I can understand why she wouldn't want me to evolve… if only there were some way to preserve this…

 _Actually… maybe there is._

"Hey… Violet."

She tears her gaze away from the ground to stare at me, her nervous gaze still present. I smile a reassuring grin her way, adding to that gesture of comfort with a cheek kiss.

"I got an idea," I say, continuing to brush a paw across her cheek. "I heard that the Kecleon brothers started stocking up on cameras… You know what those are, right?"

She tilts her head at a slight angle. "You mean… those device things that you carry around that are very good at making drawings on the spot?"

"Well… close enough," I say with a slight chuckle. "Anyways, I was thinking that we might as well buy one to preserve as many memories as possible before we evolve… We could have plenty of pictures of the two of us that we get to keep… would you like that?"

Her worried look shifts to a faint smile. "I… I guess that'd work…"

"Good. But, you know, we'll have to get started on that camera thing tomorrow since it's really late, the stores are closed, and we still have to look for Cresselia."

"Oh. Right."

"Don't worry…" I look back towards my map. "We're almost there… all we have to do is head past this bush… and-"

My sentence is then interrupted when my paw steps on something that isn't grass, the sudden transition in texture catching me off guard and almost making me trip.

 _Agh, of all the places for a piece of litter to have ended up in!_

Fortunately, I manage to catch myself before I stumble by slamming my other front paw on the ground in an effort to halt my momentum. Thankfully, I glance back to see that Violet didn't notice my slip up, and I use my curious staring at the paper I've just stepped on as a cover up for my slight lean forward.

 _Hmm?_ I notice some writing on the paper, as well as the sheet himself being surprisingly free of creases for being a piece of 'litter'. Freeing up my paws by putting my map back into my bag, I pick up the piece of paper and try to hold it in the glow of my tail.

From the corner of my eye, I notice Violet looking over my shoulder.

"What is it, Sparks?"

"It looks to be some note…" I say, trying to adjust my grasp so that it stays in the light. "Let's see… 'Vision notes… apparently this Dark Matter being is from a legend of terror that only affected the Water Continent…' This must've been written by Cresselia…"

"By… Cresselia? What else does it say?" Violet questions.

"A… lot more important looking notes, actually…" I say, my eyes continuing to scan the neat-looking handwriting. "Hmm… 'While I didn't get any information regarding this, I can safely assume that Darkrai is directly related to this, judging from Darkrai's supposed escape to the past… even though Dark Matter doesn't possess any Sightseer energy, this being apparently has abilities like no other… like seemingly-permanent brainwashing as well as the ability to turn Pokémon to stone…'"

 _Oh Arceus… looks like our suspicions of Darkrai in the past are true…_

I take a second to think, but judging from Violet's silence, she must be waiting for me to continue. And continue I do.

 _We could just return this to Cresselia first… but… okay then._

"My visions even told me that the Phione at Miracle Sea succumbed to this stone fate because a Looplet they had was being hunted down… However, while my visions did give me this information, I still don't know what this Dark Matter actually looks like… but one thing's for sure, I need to hide my Air Looplet as soon as possib-' What? It… just cuts off there."

"It… cuts off? All of this seems really important…" Violet comments. "We better get this back to Cresselia…"

 _Well,_ _ **now**_ _we return it? O… kay then…_

"Oh, right…" I say, turning back to face the bush we were about to enter. "As I said before, she should be right past this bush…"

I put the paper back in my bag alongside my map and cautiously step through the bush of leaves and branches, Violet following. As the greenery fortunately gently brushes off my already quite scruffy fur, the two of us emerge the same small tree-filled clearing where we met Cresselia a few days back. However, this time, all we see isthe dark green foliage doming around us, the pink and yellow glow of Cresselia's figure completely absent from the area.

"She's… not here? Strange…" I say aloud, my voice echoing around the quiet atmosphere. "I thought she said we could meet her here…"

"Uh… Sparks?" Violet taps a paw on my shoulder, her voice now sounding worried. "I think I found her…"

I turn around to where Violet's pointing to see… nothing. At least, that's what the darkness makes it seem like. The light from my tail sways to and fro, making me squint at some still object ahead as I slowly approach it.

I widen my eyes in realization as I walk closer.

 _No…_

Violet matched my own aghast expression as we reach the stone remains of Cresselia.

 _This… is bad…_

"Cresselia… she's… gone…" I hear Violet mutter, her voice losing steadiness.

"And… just when we were ready to get more leads on this, too…" I add with a slight scowl.

My paws quiver a bit at the sudden realization of Cresselia's fate, her unmoving figure not helping with the already tense air.

I close my eyes and steel myself. _Come on… I have to be strong…_

I glance over to Violet to see her still staring at Cresselia, every detail of her face quivering in fear. Normally I'd go over to comfort her, but judging from how she immediately lowered her head and closed her eyes in thought afterwards, this turned into a scenario where she needed some breathing time to herself.

I focus my attention back to Cresselia, the intricate details of her figure now vulnerable to my observation. I look her up and down, slowly walking around Cresselia's figure and taking in how all of the details seem a bit too precise to just be a random stone statue. Everything from the different shades of grey where her body would usually be pink or yellow, the sleek looking composition of the stone wings orbiting her, and her genuinely frightened expression that seems too precise to be manually carved… as if my suspicions weren't confirmed enough.

 _Looks like this really is Cresselia… or rather, was…_

I take another look at Cresselia's face, her widened eyes filled with despair that is now eternally petrified in this slab of concrete. A feeling of sympathy comes over me, a sudden chill coming down my spine at the thought of being in Cresselia's place.

 _Is this what it's like to see someone completely frozen up close? It's… terrifying, now that I look at it… Reminds me of when the planet was under the danger of becoming paralyzed…_

 _Except… even worse… I don't think there's any going back from being turned to stone… So Cresselia's just trapped in this shell of everything that used to be her… everything from her frightened expression to the position of her wings…_

 _Her wings…_

Right as I think that, I've paced around CresseIia for the third time, and this time I notice a small detail. A small but noticeable detail. It's not like something there… it's something that _isn't_ there.

I vaguely recall the Air Looplet Cresselia mentioned having.

 _Huh… where'd it go? Did… Cresselia leave it somewhere, or…_

My mind instantly reminds me of the note from earlier. It ended off on an abrupt note, but anyone would know that Cresselia wanted to hide her Air Looplet just from what was left of the statement.

 _It seemed like she wanted to hide it from Dark Matter, too… and judging from how she mentioned Dark Matter being turned to stone… I'll just assume that she was turned to stone because Dark Matter was 'hunting' her down for the Looplet…_

My prolonged staring at Cresselia's wing gets me even more curious of the stone substance it has turned into. I let curiosity get the better of me and place my paw across it, feeling the smooth texture of the stone. It's so flawlessly smooth, a perfect stone replica of Cresselia's wing, that I could just stay here, admire the texture, and clear my mind.

But clearing my mind would be the last thing I'd be able to do at a time like this.

A sudden but familiar headache strikes me and forces me to withdraw my paw to clutch my head, leaving me to totter in place. Even if I'm a state of mild headache, I recognize this pain enough to stay calm.

 _It's… been a long time since I had one of these… Well, Dimensional Scream, enlighten me._

All at once, my limbs start to freeze in place, my vision fading to black while I remain semi-conscious enough to stand. I hear a distorted voice echo through the looming darkness.

"Yes, _yes,_ _ **YES!**_ **You've** _ **done**_ well, TAKING her **down!** _ **SHE**_ _wasn't_ GETTING away **THIS** time!"

The voice takes an indescribable yet malicious tone, as if it was some sort of amalgamated creature generating this boom of a voice. Thank goodness it wasn't directed at me, because just hearing it in the supposed distance made me want to jump back with my locked up limbs.

 _This… I can only guess that this is Dark Matter…_

I steel my senses and will myself to continue listening.

"HEH… I can **ALREADY** _FEEL_ my strength **GROW** with _ANOTHER_ Mythical Looplet _**FUELING**_ me!" The voice continues, its distorted and inconsistent nature still proving painful to listen to. " **NOW…** onto our _next TARGETS!_ More of **THESE** _Mythical_ ARTIFACTS await **us!"**

The darkness in my vision then clears to… bring me back to consciousness. Darkness to slightly less darkness.

 _Is… that it? Is that really it?_

"Sparks?" I look over to see Violet right by my side, staring at me with a concerned look. "You had another vision… didn't you?"

I clutch my paw to my head even harder, feeling conflicted with the information that just entered my mind. It felt as if it was all forcefully crammed into my head, and my staggering didn't help, either.

I hesitate, trying to readjust my vision to my surroundings. "Let's just… head back, okay Violet? I'll just… fill you in on the way…"

Giving me her nervous look, Violet eventually nods. We head out of the clearing and leave Cresselia behind, still quiet about what just unfolded.

I sigh. _This is all getting out of hand now… Chime… Cresselia… you know what, it's about time we took action!_

 **The next morning, Expedition Society, Fia's POV**

That feeling when you sleep in and just want to stay asleep even after you wake up… that perfectly describes how I feel about waking up for this particular morning. Considering how the full highlight of my sleep was close contact with warm fur (I'm sensitive to the cold, so it can't be helped, right?). I think there's a reason why I'm like this, but I just can't put my finger on it…

Well, either way, I had to get out of bed eventually… I can only stay in my paradise of sleep for so long. It felt like I was in there for… weeks? Months? So I didn't have any reason to complain.

I yawn, giving my limbs a good stretch as I walk alongside an equally drowsy Indigo, making our way to the usual crowd of guild members. While the rest of them are all lined up all seriously and everything, I just find myself sloppily slouching behind them all, groggily trudging along the way.

 _Okay…_ I wipe my sleepy eyes, still too drowsy to bother with my bag's strap slipping off my sagged shoulder. _what's in store for us today?_

I would try to fix my strap's position, but my vines would probably drop to the floor from my lack of energy. I still need my morning dose of sunlight, after all. Luckily, I didn't have to use my arms or my vines, because Indigo decided to do the honours for me.

"Fia…" He whispers, continuously nudging at my back. "Come on, Ampharos has already started the briefing… Wake up…"

"Indigo… come on, I'm tired…" I lean on his shoulder for support, barely managing to keep my eyelids from drooping. "A deep sleeper like you understands, right?"

"But… at least _try_ to stand up properly, or else Ampharos might catch you like this… I don't want another incident like what happened with Farfetch'd…"

I withdraw and shoot him an accusing stare. Of course he'd bring this up. "Hey! I finished my test and had nothing else to do! It was either that or asking you for answers!" I cross my arms and give him an exaggerated pout. "Come on, you worry too much…"

He raises an eyebrow and casts a smile. "Can you blame me?"

I open my mouth to object, but several events rush to my mind. Considering what Indigo has done to me in a surprisingly short span of time, being a really good best friend and all, no, I can't blame him. But can he blame _me_ if I don't wanna open my mouth to prove him right? I giggle silently, trying to hide my smirk with a hand, feeling proud of my little solution out of this.

It was all going according to plan until he returned the smirk, as if he saw right through my thoughts. My expression drops at the realization of his grin. No words were said, but in the end, I've already sighed in defeat.

"Fine, fine, you win…" I faintly smile, adding a bit of forced reluctance to my tone. I straighten my posture and face ahead, trying to peek over the heads of Sammy and Jirachi in front of us to see Ampharos standing by the other end of the room. I could still hear what he's saying, even from one whole crowd group of Pokémon away, but at this point he's already rambled past anything I could grasp. "So… what was the Chief talking about again?"

"Something about dealing with our stone Pokémon problem… by using what we've learned from our Air Continent… and now something about team picks I believe," He leans closer to me with a whisper, stopping afterwards to listen. I notice his eyes perk up. "He… mentioned your name, Fia."

Attention now piqued, I shift my attention back ahead, this time catching the Chief's words.

"... and for the second team, the one traveling to Fire Island Volcano to meet Entei, will consist of myself, Buizel, Bunnelby, Archen, Ludwig, and Indigo. With seven of us heading to Primeval Forest and six heading to Fire Island Volcano, that just leaves Dedenne, who will stay behind to watch the Headquarters while communicating with both groups. Any objections?"

I take a second to process what this means before realization hits me. A scowl makes itself to my face as I recall what Ampharos mentioned yesterday.

Without a second thought, I prop myself up on my vines, lifting myself up into the air to see past the crowd better while also making myself appear taller.

"Hey!" I start waving an arm, frantically waving it to make up for short it is. "I have something I'd like to say!"

No one else must've bothered objecting, because Ampharos' eyes immediately shift over to me, that honest-to-goodness smile of his still on his face. Just from his face I can already tell he's unaware of the mix of emotions I'm just itching to yell out right then and there. "Ah, yes, Fia, I see you're willing to speak up. What's on your mind?"

A slight smirk creeps onto my face as I ready my words. _You're not "that's enough talk for now"-ing out on me this time!_

I really know the Chief means well, but at this point, I have to protest past his genuine demeanor. I have a point I need to stand up for. "I would like to go to Fire Island Volcano!"

The entire room falls silent after my statement. All eyes end up falling on me with questionable looks, even a judgemental frown from Ampharos himself. The number of gazes headed my way leaves with a flustered look on my lowering face. I withdraw the vines holding me up to cower back to the ground for safety, only to have one more embarrassed gaze add to the pile.

"Fia… please… not at a time like this…" he whispers, turning his head away but not before giving me one last glance.

The sting of shame coming from his words starts to get to me, but my objective comes back to my mind, raising my head with a look of defiance. I prop myself up on my vines once more. "You heard me! I want to be part of the Fire Island Volcano team!"

Ampharos focuses his attention right back towards me, still wearing his frown with a raised eyebrow. "Fia… you of all Pokémon must know that Grass types don't do well in environments like those. Is there… a problem with your Primeval Forest team? Surely you haven't formed any bad blood with any of the members there, have you?"

"Er…" I audibly mouth my hesitation.

 _Who… am I even going with to this Primeval Forest place, anyway? Not Indigo, that's for sure…_

I quickly recall who Ampharos mentioned, as well as who Ampharos didn't… but all his words seem to have slipped my mind… I can't say for sure. But! As soon as I look ahead, seeing Sammy's back right in front of me (I almost bumped into those spikes!) an idea comes to me.

"Sammy's going to this… uh… Primeval Forest place, right? She's a Ground type, so wouldn't she be better off in Fire Island Volcano? Maybe… have her and Indigo switch places?"

Ampharos doesn't waste a second to reply. "Your suggestion is valid… but… Sammy's tendency to dig does not fare well in a place with lava. I believe Indigo would be a much safer pick since he's one of the few here capable enough to handle such a trek. And just in case you aren't fully convinced, should the worst come, Sammy simply has X-Scissor to defend herself."

My chances of winning him over are shot down, just like that. I resist the urge to show my scowl. _I just can't win here, can I?!_

"But still, I do applaud how much concern you've shown for both Indigo and Sammy," Ampharos' calm smile returns, but at this point he might as well be smirking at my defeat. "But unfortunately, or should I say fortunately for us, you are not permitted to join the trek to Fire Island Volcano, as odd as that sounds as a request."

 _Rrgh…_ I lower myself once more, both my vines and my head.

As if the staring wasn't bad enough, once I lower myself out of view, I hear everyone speak. They're all gossiping about me! I think! Well, it's not like I had the will to confirm that, considering I wasn't in the mood to bother with the likes of them… but since they were all so close to me, what choice did I have? My hands are as small as my arms are short, and using my vines to make a makeshift helmet around my head seemed too troublesome at the moment, so I was just left to succumb to their words.

"I really don't see much reason why… does she have a bone to pick with Entei fellow or something?"

"If that's the case, then that doesn't sound like it's go well… at all…"

"Can we just get through this briefing already? My feathers are ruffling with impatience…"

"There's nothing good that can come out of this… I'm pretty sure roast Snivy doesn't even taste very good… but _fried_ Snivy, on the other hand-"

Fortunately, before Swirlix could finish her statement that I had no choice but to listen to, Ampharos hushes everyone so that he can continue.

 _I guess that's one thing I can be thankful to him for…_

"... everyone, back to what I was saying, now that you all know of your team compositions, you can spend the rest of the day preparing yourself for the departure later today! In the meantime, I'll be contacting Lapras so that she can reserve the Wailord taking us. You're all free to do just that, but always remember to perform our best out there!"

I hear a series of cheers after Ampharos' last statement, which I assume is his usual 'you are dismissed' phrase, but I remain silent with my head held low. From the corner of my eyes, I can see several Pokémon walking past me to the exit, heading upstairs, and one heading to the Mess Hall (definitely Swirlix). That just leaves me, standing still in the meeting area as I sulk. At this point I've already ran out of all animosity I could spew out of my mouth, leaving me with my defeated thoughts, all alone. At least, that's what I thought.

"So… you're still insistent about heading to Fire Island Volcano, huh?"

I hear Indigo's gentle voice right beside me, but I keep my gaze fixated on the ground. "Yeah…"

"And… the departure's later…"

I sigh. "I know…"

"Well… if anything, I'm at least flattered the Chief thinks I'm capable enough to head to Fire Island Volcano… uh… no offense…"

The thought of raising an outburst about Ampharos comes to my mind, but I end up pushing that thought aside. "Hmm… I just still wish there were a way…"

"Er… right… anyways… could you do me a favour?"

 _A… favour?_

My expression perks up at the mention of a request, making me look to my right to see a pile of items being held in front of my face.

I widen my eyes at the sight of Indigo staggering a bit from the weight of his load, seeing the scenario up close forcing a chuckle out of me. "You, uh, need some help there?"

He wobbles a bit on one paw, his face barely visible poking out from the pile's peak. "Yeah… since I'm going to Fire Island Volcano, I thought I might as well take my bag to Jirachi so he can fireproof it… So I'll have to put my items somewhere…"

"Gotcha," I whip my vines out, keeping my bag's flap open with one and taking Indigo's items with the other. "So… about this fireproofing thing… are you really sure Jirachi can do something like that?"

My swiftly working vine takes the last item off Indigo's paws, allowing him to shrug. "It's my best bet. I could just take the spare bag we have, but I've decided it's about time I did something about _my_ bag. It just has… sentimental value to me, you know?"

 _If only I could just hide myself in that bag…_

After a bit of struggling to close my bag's own flap, I glance over to Indigo's flattened bag, reminding myself of the purple leaves pasted all over it. I wouldn't blame him for growing attached to that bag, it is a memento from Serene Village after all. It isn't just the leaves, either…

I shift my gaze upwards to look at his scarf, its pattern of green stripes matching mine. The comfy symbols that represents our friendship, and now both of these accessories are embedded with the ambition symbol that are our Expedition Society badges. The two seem to go well considering what they represent. It's… oddly bittersweet.

"You better go get to preparing your items," Indigo's voice snaps me out of my little reminiscing trance. "Meet back up at Cafe Connection?"

I nod, a smile forming on my face once he walks towards the stairs. "You bet I'll prepare items… using your Poké you just gave me!"

He stops mid-step and faces me with an equally playful grin. "Hey, don't you dare!"

I giggle a bit and make my way towards the building's exit. "Okay, okay, I won't! See you later at the cafe!"

 **A few minutes later, Cafe Connection**

As soon as I entered through the open doorway of the cafe, I'm pretty sure many of the Pokémon by their tables gave me weird looks, but I can't say for sure. If they were, I wouldn't blame them. If I saw a Snivy slowly trudging around and dragging a bag across the floor with her vines, I'd be staring too. My shoulders already gave way to the bag's weight, so what choice did I have?

 _Arceus… this bag is heavy with all the extra items in here… Why did I agree to this, again?_

Fortunately, rather than troubling my vines by having them go through more agonizing pulling, I manage to reach a circular table and set myself down on one of its stools. After having my vines go through one more test by having them lift the bag onto the table (almost making me stumble forward in the process), I collapse, letting my head rest on the wood.

"One… juice… please… just give me whatever…" I blurt out to no one in particular. Did any of the Kangaskhan hear me? Well, I'm too exhausted to bother.

And I thought I was the energetic type. Who knew that all it would take was a sleep that felt like months and a bag as heavy as a Miltank to drain it all?

 _Well… at least… I can wait here for the time being… I already bought the items I need so now all I have is free time…_

I take a deep breath and clear my thoughts.

…

 _Wait… was that glass of juice always there?_

When I turn my head to the side, lo and behold, there's a glass of juice that wasn't there before. It seems to have some bright green liquid inside, odd in colour, but a drink's a drink. Maybe Kangaskhan heard me after all. The glass is barely at my arm's length, but I still reach try reaching for it.

A brown paw pushes it away from my reach. "Whoa, hey there, this drink's mine."

I lift my head at the sound of the calm-sounding voice to see Mac sitting right beside me, Flaps sitting on the stool to his right to join his staring at me.

"Rise and shine, Fia," Mac gives me a small grin and lifts his glass, taking a sip. "Need a pick-me-up?"

"Yeah…" My exhausted tone returns, this time with a hint of defeat, as I lower my gaze to the table.

"By the way, your drink's here now."

… _huh?_

Mac's statement leaves me confused for a second, but sure enough, I turn my head to the left to see a drink right there, the liquid inside looking identical to Mac's drink.

"Heh, and it's a Grass Gummi drink too." He chuckles.

I frantically look around for the source of the drink, but Kangaskhan's nowhere to be found.

 _That Kangaskhan… I never get to see her around for long even before and after I ask for a drink… looks like this time is no exception…_

My looking around elicits another chuckle from Mac, making me turn back to see him sipping his drink.

He lets out a satisfied exhale before turning back to face me. "Grass Gummi juice never fails to hit the spot… always energizes you to get back to action. I'd imagine someone like you would love these, especially since you're a fellow Grass type."

I raise an eyebrow. "I've… never tried one of these before, but I'll take your word for it."

I use a vine to pull the drink closer to me, allowing me a closer look at the green liquid. It's clear enough to look refreshing, as juices typically are, but other than that, it has a natural-smelling aroma that seems to compel me. Rather than linger in gawking at this drink's first impression towards me, I take its glass in my hand and take a gulp.

I widen my eyes at the effect I feel as soon as I swallow. Energy returning to all parts of my body at once, I turn to face Mac excitedly. "You're not kidding! It feels like I've just had the best photosynthesis of my life! Except I could taste it! And it tasted amazing! Oddly soothing, too! I need to let Indigo get ahold of this stuff once he gets here."

"That's Grass Gummis for ya," He raises his glass in an approval-like fashion. "I just don't recommend giving this stuff to non-Grass types. It doesn't taste nearly as good. But hey, more for us."

… _oh._

I look back to Mac to see him still holding his glass in the air. He gives me an odd look, as if he were waiting for me to do something. Suddenly catching on to the awkward silence, I lift my glass with my vine so that it meets his.

"More for us!" I say with an sheepish chuckle once our drinks clink.

After our little awkwardly executed toast, I take another large gulp of my drink, leaving me tingling with joy at its effect. However, my joy is left unsatiated, because taking another look at my glass has revealed that I've finished it.

"Aww…" The drink was so good that I find myself genuinely disappointed.

"Heh…" Mac gives me an amused look. "Good to see your usual enthusiasm's returned. We'll be needing that for our upcoming trip."

I think about his words for a second. _Oh yeah… he's part of the Primeval Forest team, isn't he?_

 _Primeval… Forest…_

Just the reminder of "not Fire Island Volcano" is enough to stab at me from the inside, drawing out a sigh.

"Oh… still feeling down, I see…" Mac's expression fades to a concerned frown. "Fire Island Volcano?"

I turn my gaze away and nod slowly.

"Hmm… you know, I have a feeling this isn't just about Entei, now is it? Let me guess… it's about Indigo, isn't it?"

I glance at him. "... did I make it seem obvious?"

A faint smile comes across his face as he shrugs. "Well, the whole Society already knows about your friendship ever since you joined, but only I got to see how close you really were with your sleep hugging and all that. Well, Flaps noticed too, but I-"

"Yes yes yes yes I n-noticed!" Flaps peeks over Mac's shoulder to shoot me his crazed stare as he promptly nods, his sudden loudness almost making me jump.

Mac just chuckles and pushes Flaps back to his seat. "Anyways, the point is, you're not the only one watching his back. He's not the only one watching your back either. I mean, I'm here for you, Flaps is here for you-"

"Yes yes yes yes yes-"

"-and the whole Society is here too. Well, our Primeval Forest group for the time being, but my point still stands. We may have our personal connections here and there, and that's not a bad thing, but at the end of the day, we're all here for each other. You can definitely rely on the Fire Island Volcano team to take care of Indigo, and you can rely on us to keep you safe the same way."

 _I… guess so…_

I try to use his words to perk me back up, but I still end up feeling uneasy about the whole situation. I'm even left feeling guilty when Mac flashes me a genuinely reassuring smile to the point where I just _had_ to smile back.

"Thanks… I'll keep that in mind."

"Heh. Well, keep your chin up. You'll want to give it your all when Mawile's in charge," Mac tilts his head to aim his gaze past my shoulder. "Speaking of Mawile…"

"I'm here, Mac."

The sound of an additional voice makes me turn my head to see, Mawile approaching the table, taking her seat by the stool near Flaps.

I raise an eyebrow. "Mawile? What're you doing here?"

She shoots me a confused look back. "You… don't know? But if you're here…"

"Relax, it's a complete coincidence she came here too," Mac faces her, gesturing with his paws. He then turns back to face me. "You see Fia, Mawile, being the much more careful planner than the Chief is-"

"I heard that-"

"-she decided to have us all meet up here so we can discuss before departing."

Mawile focuses her serious gaze towards me. "Looks like it's just the four of us here to discuss. Swirlix is busy packing food from the Mess Hall, as usual, while Jirachi and Sammy are busy tending to something on the third floor."

 _Jirachi, huh? Probably dealing with Indigo's fireproofing thing…_

 _So Swirlix, Jirachi, Sammy, Mac, Mawile… oh, and Flaps too. Those are the other six I'll be going with, right?_

"Now onto business," Mawile's commanding tone catches my attention, as if she was talking to me in particular. "We need to talk strategy."

 _Strategy? Aww…_ I'm instantly reminded of all the battle talk I had to sit through back in class. I never really bothered paying attention back then, and it's not like this time would be any different. I lean my head against my hand and sigh. _Those classes were at least somewhat bearable because I could whisper with Indigo back then… but what's taking him so long to get here?_

 **Indigo's POV**

I spent way too much time with Jirachi trying to find a way around my whole fireproofed bag situation. That meant I needed to waste no time in getting to Cafe Connection, because Arceus knows what'd happen if I kept Fia waiting. I _am_ still slightly upset about her insistence regarding going to Fire Island Volcano, not enough to make me mad at her, but I might as well spend as much time as I can with her before the departure.

 _Now to get to Cafe Connection…_

I make my way to the plaza, the crowds of Pokémon passing by being a slight hindrance to my hurried trek, but a trek I've been able to manage nonetheless. It was all going to go downhill from here, with the run to the cafe's doorway being presented right in front of me to be taken in one swift dash. But then came the three familiar figures heading my direction.

 _Oh come on, not now, abort abort abort-_

Buizel, Archen, and Bunnelby; the amiable, the impatient… and the one who I just remember for usually saying 'fellows'. They wondered why I was in a hurry, to which I hastily responded with the usual 'business to attend to' excuse. It confused me at first why they'd show concern for my actions, but it could just be the fact that I'm part of their team, or Buizel just being courteous. Either way, I still apologized for my hastiness and made my way to the cafe before the next wave of passing citizens could delay me any further.

The smells of several different drinks enters my senses as I rush into the cafe. After looking around a bit, I manage to make out Fia's figure by a table, sitting by several others. I approach the table and prop myself onto the stool next to Fia, allowing myself some time to breathe now that I'm not running.

"Whew… hey Fia…" I manage a wave towards her, but as I do, I notice awkward stares being aimed at me by two other figures. "Oh… hey Mac… Mawile… oh, Flaps too."

"Tired too, huh?" Mac raises an eyebrow. He then calls over to the Kangaskhan barista, but I don't catch what he's saying.

Shortly afterwards, a drink with some sort of orange liquid is placed right in front of me. The fact that the juice itself bears an orange colour strikes a familiar feeling deep within me, but something about the compelling pungent scent it bears just calls out to me to take it down in one whole gulp. I let my committed nature take over and do just that.

Other than the refreshing taste the drink's effect had, I feel my entire body surge back to life as soon as I swallow, the energy wave traveling right down to the tips of my paws. Adrenaline courses through my body, making me feel pumped to the point where I literally feel like punching something for the satisfaction. Pumped to the point where I now realize it's unbearable _unless_ I punch something. And so I start to panic.

 _Come on, this is a bad time to be getting these urges!_

 _What do I do what do I do what do I do?!_

 _Calm down everyone, the solution is simple, just punch_ _ **yourself!**_

The flurry of thoughts continue swimming around in my head to the point where it physically hurts. Again. I clutch my head in my paws and lower it, trying my best to resist the urge of even slamming my paw against the table. I can't just show my violent outburst when there are innocent bystanders watching! Arceus knows that'd be plenty embarrassing…

Then again, so would the spectacle of me clutching my head in pain caused by a rather delicious drink, but at this point I was busy focusing on making sure I don't accidentally punch someone.

In one last effort to exhaust my energy, I let loose a prolonged sigh, exhaling the majority of my vitality away and leaving me slumped onto the table.

"Hey silly," A familiar tiny hand starts poking my arm. "You still up?"

"I'm up, I'm up!" I jerk my posture back up before I could be lulled into sleep. I'm then reminded of the awkward stares I received prior my little freak out as Mac and Mawile continue staring at me with odd looks. "Oh… er… apologies for my little freak out, I don't know what came over me," I bow a little. "Judging from how you were already here… was I… interrupting something?"

"Well, we were just getting into our individual abilities that might prove useful on our Primeval Forest trip, but you are free to listen in should you want," Mawile replies, her look shifting to a more welcoming one. "So… as I was saying-"

She didn't even have time to finish her next sentence before the beeping noise I've grown to dread starts coming out of nowhere. The same beeping noise that came to forcefully drag me out of my sleep on multiple occasions, this time amplified to sound like there are four sources at once. The pure terror that came over me upon hearing that dreadful discord _while I was already awake_ set me on all layers of paranoid, tempting me to just curl up and let my ears perish.

Fortunately, to me at least, the beeping stopped right as it began, saving me the trouble of having to scream my stress out.

"What was that all about?" Fia asks, sharing my confused look, albeit with less fear embedded on her face.

"It should just be a reminder from the Chief," Mawile, somehow still calm after the cacophony that just took place, takes her Expedition Gadget out of her bag. Her eyes widen. "Oh… it seems like he's ready…"

Mac raises an eyebrow. "For what?"

Mawile hops off her stool, motioning for us to follow. "To depart. We're all to meet at the docks. Let's go, you four."

It's not like we were given a choice to object, especially in the face of the Chief's second hand Pokémon, so we all obediently follow. Well, I had to coax Fia for a bit before she got off her seat due to her sulking demeanor returning, but she still ended up following after us in the end.

"Hey…" Right before the two of us make our way out of the cafe, she starts nudging at my shoulder. I turn to see her facing me with a raised eyebrow. "Hey Indigo… where'd your scarf go?"

 _Oh… I figured I had to explain this sooner or later. I guess it was plainly obvious to the eye considering how my badge is now pinned to my fur…_

"You remember Chandelure, right? And how we both almost got burned to a crisp? You noticed how our scarves seemed oddly fireproof since they escaped without any form of damage?" I pause for a second in hopes of her catching on. "Well, I decided to lend that scarf to him to help with my bag's fireproofing thing."

Her expression grows shocked, widened eyes and all. "You _what?!"_

I resist the urge to cower right then and there at her sudden yelling. Clearly she's really sensitive about my possession of her scarf… not that I blame her. "D-Don't worry, he said he'll only use the scarf as a basis for how he'll fireproof my bag… It's not like he's going to destroy the scarf to upgrade my bag…"

She crosses her arms, glowering at me. "Are you _sure?"_

"Just… don't worry… He even said he'll give the scarf back to me when he's done with the bag…"

All she responds with is a suspicious glare, not even bothering to utter a word. I take it as a sign that I shouldn't bother trying to put her mind at ease until I get that scarf back.

 _Jirachi… you better be done with that bag…_

 **Lively Town Docks and Lighthouse**

The last time I've been here wasn't anything too special. It just seemed like an grassy island-ish landmass with a wooden dock and a lighthouse right next to it. But now that we've all gathered here… this place developed a whole new layer of atmosphere.

Taking in the smell of the sea with the sights of the lighthouse and the pier, I vaguely recall these things called 'boats', large objects that carried people from one place to another via sea travel. These boats can be slightly larger than a Mantine to as big as the very Wailord waiting for us to board them. It evoked an odd sense of familiarity within me, seeing these large 'boats' with the large crowds nearby and everything of the sort.

 _Did I enjoy coming to places like these when I was a human or something?_

We join the rest of the Society members at the dock, where they split up into lines of two next to who I assume are our respective Wailord. I also realize that the two lines are per group, meaning that I end up separating from Fia and the others, leaving me at the back of my line. While this does mean I've probably lost any further chance of comforting Fia about this trip, it isn't all bad. The Chief started going on and on about the Wailord's traveling times and how we can all spend our time waiting to reach our destination, but my attention to all that stuff was directed away when Jirachi started nudging at me so he can get me my bag and scarf back.

I thank him and get to putting my bag's strap over my shoulder, the texture of the purple leaves (did they get softer?) satisfying what my shoulder felt what missing. And now to satisfy what felt missing from my neck, so I pin my badge back to my scarf, and-

"Give me that!"

A pair of small arms creeps up from behind me proceeds to snatch the scarf from my fumbling paws, wasting no time to wrap it around my neck, heeding attention to detail to the point where it didn't even feel like I took the scarf off in the first place.

I glance behind to see her and shoot her a smile. "Thanks, Fia."

…

 _Wait what?!_

I do a double take, glancing behind with widened eyes to see her standing right there, crouching behind my shoulders.

She looks up at me and puts a finger to her mouth. "Shh… don't let anyone know I'm here…"

I resist the urge to facepalm and instead give her a concerned stare. "Fia… come on… you can't keep doing this…" I say in a hushed whisper.

She looks up at me with a pout, this time looking genuinely upset. "And why not, huh?"

"Please… I thought we had this discussion already… I'd be plenty worried if something happened to you… and going to an entire island's worth of disadvantages does not help your odds." Still holding my concerned gaze, I meet my eyes with hers in an attempt to emphasize my point.

She crosses her arms, giving me a sneer. "Indigo…" Her demeanor immediately drops, lowering her gaze with a defeated sigh. "I guess… I guess I never really told you personally how much I worry for you too… You are my best friend, so you mean much more to me than I let on…"

I cast a warm smile at her upon hearing her statement. "I'll be fine… and I want you to be fine too. I don't know what I'd do if something bad happened to you because I wasn't able to convince you not to come along. Well, one thing's for certain, I wouldn't forgive myself."

She hesitates a bit in her response, slowly looking up at me. "Everything's going to be fine for you? Even… if I'm not there in case anything happens?"

A slight chuckle is brought out of me upon hearing the subtle enthusiasm in her words. "Promise."

To add to my statement, I slowly pull her into an embrace, letting her worried head melt into the soothing blanket that is apparently my fur as I carefully wrap my arms around her figure tightly. Fia lets out a wistful whine as she wraps her small arms around my scarf to rest at the knot at the back of my neck where she tied the fabric, her grip just as tight, if not tighter. Even if all this went as I hoped, I still wanted to let this moment last just to make sure I clear out every smoke of doubt lingering in her mind.

The whole moment of the embrace evoked an odd emotion within me. Not odd as in the description of the emotion itself, but rather how I ended up feeling it. It was as if all feeling of uneasiness and worry bubbling within Fia started coming to me as well, making me experience her emotions as if they were my own. Is this some sort of amplified sympathy? An additional perk that Riolu have? Whatever the case, it just made me feel even more worried for Fia. My partner, my best friend, the very Pokémon who gave me my special scarf, she was all on my mind right now. I wanted her happy, and for that to happen, I needed her safe.

So when we were forced to withdraw when the Chief called for us to get on our Wailord, all I could do was muster a smile once I climbed onto my Wailord and she climbed onto hers, giving her a wave as I do so.

Though, at this point, we were already on the sea, our Wailord swimming far across from each other in a straight lane but still close enough to be barely visible. That is, visible enough to see the Wailord, the passengers still out of my sight even as I squint. Maybe Fia didn't see me wave at her. Maybe Fia did.

Did she wave back?

Just the thought of that question and all the other questions that can branch off of it is enough to send shivers down my spine. The uneasy feeling I felt from Fia still bubbles within me. I look towards the rest of the Wailord's back, seeing the rest of my Fire Island Volcano group sitting in a circle, seemingly having a hearty conversation about something. I would join in, especially seeing as how they all seemed to be having fun from what casual speech I managed to catch, but the worry lingering in my chest still aches.

 _Urgh… you know what… maybe I should just… sleep it off… yeah…_

 **Somewhere in the middle of the ocean, Fia's POV**

Look at everyone else. Sitting on the far end of the Wailord engaging in conversation while I'm just sitting here near the tail and sulking to my own thoughts. And they all seem to be having fun at the fact that they're all occupied as I sit here isolated. Jokes on them! I'm occupied too! At least I'm here silently admiring the peaceful breeze of the air and the gentle sounds of the waves!

I take a deep breath and turn my head to the right. Even given the energetic personality I've made myself known for, it's not like I'm not one to stop and smell the roses every now and then, or in this case, sit atop a Wailord and continue admiring the sea.

I exhale. I have nothing to worry about. All I have to do is sit here for the time being and clear my thoughts. All I have to do is lose myself in the view of the skies and the sea and remain calm.

But there was just one thing that _had_ to come into my line of sight. The Wailord in the distance. The one carrying Indigo away to a volcano. A _volcano!_

I shudder. The last time I saw Indigo was back at the docks, and now he's on the Wailord I'm staring so intently at. Even if his figure's nothing but a blur… well, at least he's there. Safe… for now.

His bag is fireproof, sure, but that's only to keep the bag safe. It's not like _he's_ fireproof… well, the scarf is, but-

… the scarf…

The very symbol of my friendship with him. That scarf was able to survive the toughest of flames without showing losing a single thread. No offense to him, but I'm sure Indigo isn't fireproof… and what good would a symbol meant to be worn be if the wearer's been burned to a crisp?

I hesitate a bit at that last thought. Okay, sure, that thought would apply to me _much_ better, but still… there's just something compelling me to be there for him… even after what he's said to me at the docks…

I shake my head and exhale in an attempt to clear my thoughts, focusing my gaze towards the vast sea in front of me. Even if I _did_ want to get myself to the other Wailord just because I felt compelled to, it's not like I could jump across. There's no way I could somehow bring myself over this large body of water without falling and drowning in the process. and not while everyone is awake and watching, no less…

… is there?

 **NOTE: Beta read by TheGOAT**


	20. 20: The Beeping

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 20 - The Beeping**

 **The next morning, Indigo's POV**

Sleep has… a really peculiar effect on me. For some reason, it just seems like the calm grasp of slumber keeps wanting me to drag me back to its realm of dreamless unconsciousness (okay, maybe there's the _occasional_ dream, sometimes… something really weird). As odd as that sounds, it's not like the permanent sleep of death or anything… I hope. I still wonder what it is that causes my prolonged drowsiness. Is it because of how at ease my mind is? Is it because of how at ease my body is? Can I… use this deep sleeper trait to my advantage in any situation whatsoever? Well, whatever the case, it makes me feel good… so I don't have anything to worry about.

Well, except for when I wake up. Getting stripped away from my sleeping rights leaves me with a sour taste in my mouth.

Or in today's case, a dusty taste.

 _Ugh… where am I?_

The return of my consciousness is accompanied by the realization of a musty substance formed in my mouth. The urge to gag comes to me as I hastily attempt to prop myself up, my paws digging into the soft ground beneath me. Staggering a bit from my sudden wake as I cough some mush out of my mouth, I use my now dusty paws to wipe some sort of rough powdery substance stuck on the fur of my face… only to get more of the accursed material stuck.

 _Is this… sand? Great, just great! My paws_ _ **and**_ _my face are filthy! I'm pretty sure I can't even open my eyes without getting this sand in them! How do I even get this stuff off?!_

My brief moment of frustration and slight panic is interrupted when I feel my entire body get blasted by a torrent of water sent my direction, sending a chill through my entire body. Quivering at the sudden transition in temperature, I brush away the wet fur hanging in front of my eyes to see several bright rays I recognize from reluctant window staring to be early morning sunlight.

An instinct deep within me calls to my senses to shake off all the water on my fur. Despite how animalistic I feel such an action to be, I go through with it, feeling the burden of sand being lifted off my entire body in the process and fluffing up my fur (was it always this long?).

And as soon as I straighten my vision, then came the hearty laughter going on in front of me. Five figures of varying heights stand in front of me, all of them looking caught in a humorous exchange of laughs. One of the figures of the shorter side looks my way and approaches.

"Hey! Looks like you're awake," Buizel gives me a wave, a sheepish smile forming on his face. "Sorry for tossing you off the Wailord. And for trying to douse you even though you were already up. But the 'tossing you off the Wailord' thing was Archen's idea. And at least the water helped clean off the sand."

 _They… tossed me off the Wailord? Is that how I got all dirty?_

With a sneer foreshadowing an outburst, Archen breaks from the group ahead and lumbers towards us, his talons forming angry little footprints in the… is that sand grey?

I know I'm usually one to miss intricate details. I missed the fact that staircases existed in mystery dungeons and even missed how there were towering windmills practically _littered_ around the Air Continent's Baram Town. But I'm also one who tries to learn from mistakes, so I scan my surroundings with a curious eye, taking in how the ground all around right down to my feet is made up of grey-looking sand, a similar shade to the shift in rocky terrain ahead. There are even a few similarly-greyed rocks lying here and there.

 _This sand is… odd… are we on an island of some sort-_

"In my _defense."_ Archen's yell of dissatisfaction at Buizel snaps me out of my thoughts. "Our Wailord was also feeling impatient to leave! Something about this place making him feel uneasy or something!"

I flinch a bit from the volume of his outburst. _Arceus, are all Flying type Pokémon this screechy with their tones?!_

"You… uh… mentioned an 'also' in there," I hesitantly add to the conversation in an attempt to retaliate. "Does that mean-"

"You are not part of this argument!" This time Archen yells right in my face, the sound of his frantically flapping feathers adding to his volume, making me flinch once more.

 _Urgh, where's the Chief to be the big authority when we need it?! Where… are we, again?_

Fortunately, Buizel decided to step in and argue with Archen in my place, allowing me to step away from them to peek over at what's ahead, primarily to search for where the Chief is. Perhaps a short exchange with him will put the fogginess of my freshly awoken mind at ease.

I end up finding him facing away from Ludwig, who's now conversing with Bunnelby, to lean down his head so that he can press an Expedition Gadget to his ear. Knowing exactly what this gesture is, I decide to hold off on the questions for now, but my longing ears just can't resist.

"... hmm… yes, it does seem quite coincidental that both our teams made it to our destinations at similar hours," I overhear from him, his face taking an intrigued look as he pauses. "... yes, have you performed your head count yet? Everything is in order on my end."

He pauses once more, his gaze still focused in the distance.

 _Must be expecting a response… from… whom?_

The fog in my head continues dwelling, leaving my thoughts still unanswered. I sigh. This sort of thing usually happens when I'm lashed out of my sleep. It takes a while to get the memories of the previous days to come back to me, maybe an hour or so, but that's why I've grown to rely on Nuzleaf's morning greetings, Fia's plans for the day, and Ampharos' morning briefing to give my mind an objective to grasp. The sensation of my mind being just as sleepy as my body feels completely different from forgetting a huge chunk of memories altogether (several self-pondering moments have confirmed this for myself). That being said, I'm pretty sure my forgetting of everything but my human memories has nothing to do with the grogginess of my early morning brain. My mind just feels… well… I feel like 'immature' would be the best word to describe it. I know it sounds weird… but that's the best word I feel describes it.

But that possible correlation isn't relevant now. What is relevant is my committed nature forcing me to wait for Ampharos to finish his call. I'm not the most independent Pokémon, so I could do with someone like the Chief to rely on.

"... so… she's not there?" His expression shifts to one of worry. "And… not even answering any of her calls, huh?"

The sudden mention of the words 'she' and 'not there' pique my interest, swelling uneasiness inside me.

 _It… can't be… right?_

It might be irrational to feel uneasy at just a slight mention like that, but it seemed as if the same premonition of mine that senses incoming danger just perked up, this time outside of battle. This uneasiness provokes worry, making my ears droop with my expression at the reminder of what went on yesterday. I continue listening.

"... just… keep searching your area. Perhaps she simply wandered off before the point where you are at the moment. Whatever the case… do keep your objective in mind, will you, Mawile?"

I hear a faint voice respond back from Ampharos' Expedition Gadget before he taps its screen, depositing it back into his bag afterwards. Now that he's unoccupied, I muster up the words to the question I was going to ask him, but his words come out first.

"Good morning, everyone. Good to see you now all up and about," He faces us all, wearing a calm smile I can tell he's trying his best to prolong. He takes his 'arms behind back' authoritative stance that he usually does during briefings, making us all form into a huddled group. "I have just reported in with Mawile as some of you may have just heard. But for now, we must focus our attention to the destination of our trip…" He pauses, presumably for dramatic effect, bringing an arm up to motion to the area ahead. "Fire Island Volcano!"

My eyes follow his arm to see where more of where the sandy-beach like terrain turns mountainous, starting with the dark cave mouth right in front of us, its dark insides making it appear like a mouth waiting for prey. Moving up, my eyes catch the point where the rocks turn from grey to a heated orange. Judging from how the peak is a wide volcano top with some magma trickling down its sides and smoke mixing with the nearby clouds, it didn't take me long to figure out where this change in colour came from. The whole site gives off the impression of an intimidating climb, especially since the pressure culminating from the magma's red aura at the peak makes it feel like Entei is just sitting up there… staring down at me with a stiff sneer and a judgemental frown.

My mind calls out to me amidst my staring in awe. _Okay, okay, good on you for learning to take in the sights and everything, but don't you still have something to say?!_

I manage to tear my eyes away from the towering view and mouth my mind. "Chief… didn't you mention something about a 'she' not being there or something?"

His eyes widen at my response as he gives me a nod. "Why yes… I suppose I should get to that part," He stands to focus his gaze on everyone else. "Mawile mentioned that all seemed accounted for in her area… except Fia's missing. She's nowhere around her area. I even contacted Dedenne, and she said that Fia isn't in the Society."

The words immediately sink, piercing through me and widening my eyes from the blow.

I mentally kick myself for my thoughts earlier. _Come on… you had to jinx it, didn't you?_

Part of me wants to scowl at how calm the Chief is despite this situation, but the majority of my senses end up filling my mind with worry, shock, and a pinch of guilt. I shudder.

I speak up once more, glancing at the stray rocks around us in hesitation. "Chief… you don't think…"

He responds with a smile and a dismissive wave of his arm. "Nothing of the sort! Keep in mind that our two Wailord aren't even close enough together to jump across, and that was before our lanes split off! Surely she must've wandered off on her own around Primeval Forest."

I open my mouth to object, especially considering I know Fia enough to realize she'd do more than just wander, but I suddenly recall how futile it is to try winning the Chief over in an argument.

"After all, we still have to focus on our current objective, everyone!" Ampharos turns his head, motioning to the volcano's peak. "Did you forget? We need to try to take action amidst this 'Dark Matter turning Pokémon to stone' chaos, starting with our lead that is Entei!"

The details of yesterday slowly start returning to me. Here the six of us are, one of the Expedition Society divisions sent out to Fire Island Volcano to confront Entei to… ask about his involvement or knowledge regarding the stone Pokémon incidents, I guess? Either way, Ampharos does have a point, times like these require us to focus on our objective. I can't spend the entire treacherous climb up the mountain worrying about something that I might be overthinking about. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

 _Everything's going to be fine… she's just somewhere in that forest… so I don't need to worry about this…_

I exhale my worries away, just in time to see Bunnelby step forward. "Chief, this seems like quite the intimidating climb… what if this Entei fellow decides to take our arrival the wrong way?"

Ampharos' chuckles a bit. "Well, that's why I decided to bring you all along for," His gaze turns confident. "Surely our combined efforts will win us the day!"

I'm not one to be the downer type, but something about Ampharos' overly optimistic tone gives me the feeling that he's overestimating us, or maybe that overestimation just applies to me in particular. Either way, right now I should be in the mood to endure a climb and fend off hostiles. Now would be a good time for that drink Mac gave me yesterday… I really need to ask him what that was, because other than the overwhelming side effects, that drink had a great strong taste.

"Now, comrades!" Ampharos raises an arm, turning on his heel to face the awaiting cave mouth ahead. "Shall we? Fire Island Volcano isn't going to climb up itself, so make sure your bags and items are in check!"

He lifts a foot and leans down on it, taking a groggy step forward. At first, I raise an eyebrow at his sudden transition from sophisticated to woozy, but as soon as Buizel and Ludwig rush to his sides to support him by the shoulders, I immediately recall the first impression he gave off at Serene Village.

It felt like a complete contrast of who he is now, because back then, he was just stumbling around and bumping into walls because of having the 'worst sense of direction' or something like that. Really reminds me of the few lighthearted days I spent in Serene Village. Perhaps I could've asked Nuzleaf what he thought about it, because in the few small talk sessions I've had with him; be it during meals, walks, or exploring, he always gave off that existentialist vibe since he'd usually respond to my questions with 'this is all happening for a reason'. I sort of thought those responses were odd, similar to how those nose locks of his were. What were those all about?

I shake my head, my thoughts frustrated by my prolonged tangent. There I went again, my mind trailing off to my sentiments for Nuzleaf. I… can't blame myself for this behaviour, right? Even if he was only my 'guardian' for… a few days, he still felt like all I had. Perhaps it's just my dependent nature acting on my mindset again. Still… there's that part of me who wishes I could just see him again as someone I can rely on to call an actual parent. Then there's that part of me who wishes he would finally write back.

 _Well… only time will tell, I guess. 'This is all happening for a reason', I'd expect he'd say._

It suddenly occurred to me exactly how much I depend on the plans and actions of others. I am my own individual, right? It's not like I'm completely incapable in terms of combat and making my own decisions, so it's a wonder why I don't try acting independently more often.

I feel a wave of confidence wash over me as I hold my head high, a smile foreshadowing the pride to come forming on my face. My teammates are there for me, sure, but that doesn't mean I can't handle things on my own… yeah! And if any hostile Pokémon dare to say otherwise, then they have a Force Palm or Focus Blast coming their way-

"Hey Indigo! You coming or what?"

Buizel's sudden calling snaps me out of my little self-rally to the realization that I've been trailing behind from the rest of my group. I clutch my bag's strap and run over, trying to keep my footing on the sand.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

My hurried steps lead me closer to the hungry cave mouth where the rest of my group await me. Even if the tension resting by this area is enough to make me feel how hot the climb will be, I steel myself not to shudder.

 _Everything is going to be fine… even if some of my senses_ _ **still**_ _make me feel uneasy… I have nothing to worry about…_

 **Primeval Forest, Mac's POV**

"You know… I really should get to work on that badge tracker Gadget update," Jirachi remarks once Mawile discards her Expedition Gadget.

I can't help but roll my eyes at Jirachi's statement, but still sigh wistfully at our team's current predicament.

 _Fia couldn't have just up and left… could she?_

I take another second to peek over everyone's shoulders (I hate being short) to take in the surroundings. Primeval Forest is nothing like any of the other regular forests. With the tree trunks extending to become colossal as the leaves in the trees towering above create a dense layer of shade, little sunlight is let in. Each bush is as thick as all the tree trunks, making it difficult to stray away from the main path. Speaking of this 'main path', it's pretty much the easiest area for all of us to walk across, but not even Jirachi is familiar as to where it leads. Considering how dense the protective layers of leaves above us are, it's not like Flaps and I could just fly up to get a complete view of which path goes where.

 _These Mythical places… it's as if they have their own mini-continent for them… Well, judging from how huge this place is and how hard it is to navigate, the idea of Fia being lost here suddenly doesn't sound as crazy… For all we know she might as well have wandered ahead while we were all sleeping._

The possibilities of Fia's disappearance continue swimming around in my head, no matter how much I try to push them aside. After all, it'd be a real shame if an innocent yet energetic spirit like her kicked the bucket in action … or experienced something even worse (those blasted Poliwrath)... I'm sure Indigo wouldn't take it well if something that bad happened to her. Just the thought of losing a partner… I know what it's like to worry about that kind of stuff to the point where it keeps me up at night. In Fia and Indigo's case, I feel like those two are the least deserving to feel this pain. So it's not out of the ordinary for me to feel this much concern, especially regarding a topic like thi-

"Mac!" Mawile's commanding voice snaps me back to attention, making me face her with a diligent look.

"Yes, Mawile?"

"As you must know, now that Fia has gone missing, we have another objective on our hands other than searching for Celebi amidst this labyrinth of a forest," Her gaze remains unstirred. "I am assigning you and Flaps to participate in this search from the sky. Do you understand."

I nod. "Affirmative, Mawile."

A faint grin appears on her face. "Good. Be sure to contact us back via Expedition Gadget should you come across anything worth noting. You might come across the Celebi that Entei mentioned, after all."

Nodding my head once more, Mawile heads down the path with everyone else, leaving me alone with Flaps. I glance over to my Fletchling partner to see his eager yet unfocused eyes staring back at me with anticipation, awaiting instruction.

I chuckle. His goofy stare never gets old, especially when it comes to lightening the mood. "Hey, you heard Mawile, right?"

"N-Nope!" His response reverberates around the tree-lined hallway. "D-Do I T-Tackle something?!"

A chuckle escapes my mouth once more.

 _Always wanting to smash his head against something, that's Flaps for ya… That behaviour isn't what messed up his mind, but even then, I'd rather not scramble that head more than it already is…_

"No, no, buddy, we're going to fly. We have to search for a certain someone. Maybe circle around the area in the process."

His eyes widen (more than they already are) as his usual trembling grows stiff. "F-Fly?! W-With circles?! L-Let's go a-already!"

Without even waiting for my input, he leans down, bends his knees, and spreads his wings. He continues staring at me intently, waiting for a passenger to board his pre-flight stance. I play along and get on board, my paws already clinging to his back feathers as I expect what's to come. I hastily move my bag's strap over my head to that it crosses over my chest and use my other non-feather-gripping paw to keep my glasses pressed against my face.

 _Can't let these things fall off again-_

Right as I think that, Flaps already gets to running up a tree at a pace that sends wind rushing through my fur, making my paws grip tighter. The adrenaline already coursing through me from the speed reaches its peak when I clench my eyes shut upon the approach of the heavy-layered leaf ceiling. I brace myself, but all I feel is a chunk of leaves smacking every part of my face, and then… wind.

I let my eyelids open themselves to be greeted with the still sight of the blue sky and the misty clouds passing by. The wind rushing past me just a few seconds ago has calmed down to a faint breeze stroking my fur. I take a deep breath to calm myself. A peaceful atmosphere left at the mercy of my partner's smooth flight and flapping wings… this is what it means to fly. Another factor of Flaps that will never get old in my eyes. I've grown experienced at commanding Flaps on this flying stuff for as long as I remember (maybe even beyond that), so that means something. Especially since this take-off was one of many that showed Flaps' improvement in the action.

I give him a literal pat on the back. "Love the speed, but let's not get too hasty next time, okay? I felt like I was on the brink of falling off, for crying out loud!"

He hastily nods repeatedly. "Yes yes yes yes yes."

I smile at that hint of obedience hidden in his scattered tone. "Don't worry, bud. It's not like I haven't spotted your improvement. We'll circle around the area for now, but when I say the word, you can Tackle the ground… just as long as you do it with your _feet._ Your _feet,_ not your _head,_ okay? For now… let's just continue soaring."

"S-Sure thing, Mac!"

Now to hope he takes my instructions to mind. Sure, he'd listen to me and only me most of the time, but the journey to his obedience required me to use several expressions of what I call 'Tackle speak' due to whatever messed up his mind, this made-up tongue used particularly for flying commands. His vocabulary may not have improved much, but his flying is usually smooth. His last few landings have been rather successful, so all I can do is wish for his results to stay consistent.

My grip on his feathers loosens, knowing that he's got this soaring thing down for now. I would lean back to let myself fully relax, but I guess asking for a chair on a Fletchling would be a bit much. I glance downwards to take in the rest these sights have to offer for me. Different shades of green present themselves all around, all of the different layers of leaf ceilings looking like a protective blanket for Primeval Forest… that is a _big_ blanket.

I quickly tear my attention away from sightseeing and look for anything out of place, besides the little dot that Flaps burst through. Green, green… and then I catch something out of the corner of my eye. As Flaps starts to take a slow turn, I crane my head so that I can keep my eyes focused on that specific spot right below us, pressing my glasses against my face to make sure what I noticed wasn't just a blur or smudge out of my lens range. Sure enough, I wasn't seeing things; there was a distinct patch of leaves that look as if they were illuminated by something residing beneath it.

 _There! I don't know what's there, but it might be something worth investigating!_

I give the command to stop and land, which fortunately makes its way to Flaps' ears. After a bit of hovering, he catches on to the rest of my instructions, leading to the sensation of a foliage punch to the face followed by the wind rushing past me. Panic accompanies the rush.

"F… Flaps!" I yell, my voice caught by the racing air caused by my partner's dive bombing position. "Tackle the ground with your feet! _Your feet!"_

The view of the ground starts closing in, forcing me to clench my eyes shut and brace for impact. Whatever followed came to my ears; the sound of wings flapping, and the heavy _thump_ of something.

The air falls to still, a sign that it's safe to get off. Hesitant to see exactly what went on, I cautiously open my eyes, only to widen them in disbelief at the realization that Flaps hasn't landed beak-first into the grass. I slowly get off him, making sure my bag and glasses are still intact, then stare at Flaps. His feet are planted firmly on the grass where a small indentation has formed (I guess that was the meaning of the thump), but he remains motionless. Nevertheless, a proud smile makes its way onto my face.

"Now _that_ was impressive! Speed landing like that… you know, maybe we can use that again some other time…" I give him my most genuine tone as I praise him, but he still doesn't budge. "Hey… Flaps? Buddy?"

At last, he blinks. A moment of relief washes over me, but it only lasts a second. I didn't even have enough time to let out a sigh before Flaps falls over on his side, leaving injured legs to involuntarily twitch as he lets out a pained screech. The action leaves me frozen in shock, but once his screeching as well as the ringing of my ears cease, I sigh, thankful that at least the noise went on a few steps away rather than directly into an ear.

I piece together Flaps' gesture and quickly fetch an Oran Berry out of my bag. "Here, you deserve this. Your flying really has improved, you know? You can rest as long as you need to. Gimme a call if you need another Oran Berry, okay?"

Even in pain, he eagerly nods, his feathers brushing against the grass he's pressed against. I toss the Berry to him, which he catches with a half-open beak.

As much as I'd love to watch my little companion peck the Berry to bits, I take this time to observe my surroundings, starting with what caught my eye in the first place.

 _Now… where did that glow come from-_

As soon as I turn around, I'm immediately sent reeling back at the flash that just entered my vision, the light almost making me fall onto my back in the process. I hold a paw over my eyes in an attempt to get a better look.

Right in front of me hovers a moderately sized bubble—no wait, a barrier of some sort—that seems to give off a distinct blue glow of its colouration that illuminates a majority of this clearing, ceiling included. It looks big enough to house something in it, but even if it were, I couldn't make out a single figure despite the barrier giving the impression of transparency. Perhaps it was the barrier's density or brightness getting in the way. I'd step closer to get a better look, but I'd rather not literally blind myself by stepping closer to this star of a barrier. Or upset some mysterious balance responsible for the barrier by throwing a Seed Bomb at it. I should be reporting this finding to Mawile.

I take a few steps backwards before turning my back to the barrier, taking my Expedition Gadget out of my bag as I do so.

"Mac?" Mawile's voice speaks up from my device once I navigate to the call menu. "Do you have something to report?"

"That I do. While Flaps and I have yet to find Fia, we found something quite interesting. It's a… floating barrier of some sort. I don't know why it's here, or how this thing has anything to do with our current objectives, but… it's something, right?"

She pauses. "I guess so. I'll take note of this. At least something interesting happened on your side. I'll report this back to the Chief once I get the chance to inquire Celebi about your findings."

"That's all I have to report. I'll send you some pictures while I'm at it."

"Appreciated, Mac."

I end the call there and quickly navigating to the camera menu, pinning my badge off my neck fur and sticking it to the bottom of my device so that the lens faces outwards. I make sure to take the photos from several carefully positioned angles before I end up satisfied with my album. As I conclude my little photo taking session, I navigate my way to the photo library to see it flooded with pictures of me and Flaps at different mystery dungeons.

I smile. All those photos are of every mystery dungeon we've been to ever since we joined the Society, each and every one of them framed in our room. Might as well make as many memories as we can and while we can. Now to add another to the library.

As I reposition the badge so that its face is pointed at me, I glance over to Flaps to see him recognizing my gesture. He hops back to his feet, Berry gone and all, and approaches me.

"Alright, Flaps… smile for the camera, buddy!"

 **Fire Island Volcano, Indigo's POV**

This morning, one concern I had was how I was going to deal with my doused fur. "It'll get better on the climb up," I said to myself at some point. "A little heat can't be that bad."

Oh, how wrong I was.

If I was to be thankful for anything, it'd be the fact that I paid attention to Watchog's lesson about Monster Houses. To have prior knowledge that any time, a group of hostiles could appear out of nowhere to ambush unaware explorers in large rooms… that way, I wouldn't be as shocked when my first one happened. And right now, I could do with less shock and more focus.

I'm left in a fit of coughs as another fireball explodes upon making contact with my chest. Fortunately, the Burn Guard and Guard Boost Emeras I've picked up along the way have allowed me to resist the constant Flame Burst blasts relatively well, and my fireproof bag of leaves that is still intact and keeping my Oran Berries safe is a blessing, but my stare down with this Pansear has to end soon. Playing defensive can only get me so far. I might accidentally dodge a Flame Burst only to fall into one of the lava pools in this large room if I'm not careful.

The smoke clears to reveal the Pansear smirking from a safe distance, as if taunting at my strategy. I thought I could take these hostiles on safely by letting Counter do my damage for me, which has earned me varied results so far, but this Pansear in particular is proving to be troublesome with Flame Burst after Flame Burst. I scowl, but resist the urge to rush in just in case it has a point-blank fireball in store. Carefully, I plan my next move.

 _I could just Focus Blast… but that's risky… It'd leave me right open and might be canceled out by another Flame Burst… not to mention it can miss… I'd rather be ready to sidestep out of the way should I need to…_

I put my train of thought to a complete halt when I see the Pansear start bounding towards me in hurried steps, ready to pounce. My reflexes kick in and I hold my arms up, already bracing myself as Counter's red aura surrounds me. I mentally prepare myself to take a Scratch, a Fury Swipes, even a Lick for all I care-

A pair of fangs sink into my left paw, the unexpected pain catching me off guard and almost making me yelp. Right as the Pansear withdraws its teeth, a tingling sensation courses through my entire body, threatening to stiffen my limbs as if the attack had struck a pressure point. I'm forced to stay still as the Pansear lets out a scoff-like cry while I grit my teeth and clutch my paw, cringing at the stinging pain as my Counter is let down. Then came the anticipated point-blank Flame Burst, this time striking me in my most vulnerable state and sending me rolling across the heated floor of rock.

As I get up from my little tumble, I'm left with a tinge of agitation from one of my only chances of pulling off my Counter strategy falling apart. My frustrated scowl ends up meeting the Pansear's taunting smirk, only fueling my initiative to beat this pesky fiend. I get back up on my feet in my proper battle stance, my anger letting me ignore the slight burning pain coursing through my limbs. Right now, that stinging pain from the Bite was all on my mind at the moment, the emotional aftermath of that blow leaving me with one objective: leave my strategy to my instincts and punch that Pansear right in that snarky face.

Before I know it, I'm bounding towards the Pansear in strides so swift that I close the distance between us twice as fast as it did to me a few seconds ago. I add to my sudden speed burst with a Quick Attack, giving me enough momentum to catch it off guard with a swiftly thrusted Force Palm before it could even take a breath. The satisfying impact of paw against face followed by the burst of energy sends the Pansear reeling at such a speed that makes it bounce against the wall to come back my way. I smirk as I ready my next move, be it another Force Palm or maybe a well-aimed kick to the face…

An idea comes to me as I recall the wall it rebounded off of. I immediately close the distance between us once more lunging at it with another blurred paw strike, this time holding off on the energy so that the Pansear's face is stuck to my paw. Using my Fighting type strength, I lift the Pansear with my paw, its weight feeling limp under my might, and slam the back of its head against the wall, bringing the rest of its body along in the process. The much harder impact leaves it in a Pansear-shaped crater in the wall, my paw still stuck to the victim's face. A satisfied grin comes to me as I ready the last step. With the same paw stuck to the Pansear's face, I ready a point-blank Focus Blast, the immediate explosive blast of energy sending us both reeling. While the following pain proceeded to leave a bit of a sting from the raw energy force, it was just enough to break my paw away from being stuck, leaving its former target bruised, beaten, and collapsed.

I pant several exhausted breaths, my adrenaline lifting to allow me to feel the brink of how much of a toll the heat has taken on me. Regardless, satisfaction falls over me, and I prop myself onto a nearby rock and pull out one of my Oran Berries as a reward for my success. It is when I take my first few bites that I notice the other five Society members all staring at me, wide-eyed and shocked.

I raise an eyebrow as I continue taking bites of my Oran Berry. "Wha?"

They continue giving me weird stares to the point where I start feeling uneasy from all the eyes boring through me. Never did I ever expect sophisticated Pokémon like Ampharos or Ludwig to look at me as if they were… wait, do I detect a hint of fear?

Ampharos finally speaks up. "We… were just surprised, that's all…" He clears his throat, his tone returning. "Anyways… it seems as if you've finished dealing with your foe… not as quick as we've subdued our adversaries, but subdued nonetheless… even if it seems like you've overdone it…"

He goes back to trailing off for a second before catching himself reverting back to his sophisticated demeanor as he turns on his heel to face the other staring four. "So, everyone! We've been climbing up this mountain for quite a while and had the fortune to end up in a large now-empty area. Since it seems like we could reach the peak at any moment, I declare that we can now take a climbing break."

The other four let out sighs of relief as I swallow the last of the Oran Berry in my paw. Everyone proceeds to gather around in a circle, then end up facing me as if waiting for me to close off the space between Buizel and the Chief. Hesitantly, I walk off my rock and join them.

 _Wait… we aren't seriously going to sit down in a circle here of all places, right?_

"Pardon my asking…" I speak up. "But isn't sitting on volcanic rock for a prolonged period… you know, a bad idea?"

He flashes me a smile and turns to his right. "Ludwig, if you will?"

Ludwig nods in response, taking a courtly bow as what looks like a faint smile appears on his face. " _Jawohl."_

The Clawitzer lifts his large claw so that it's aimed towards the ceiling, then proceeds to launch some sort of water cannonball out of it. My eyes follow the projectile to see it spontaneously evaporate into a dark cloud that spreads across the entirety of the room's ceiling. A drizzle follows.

 _Whoa…_ I let an incoming raindrop fall into my open paw in awe. _So this is how Rain Dance works, huh?_

The water droplets creating faint stains in my fur here and there aren't that bothersome or as noticeable as an actual rainstorm (or at least how I imagine them to be), but the repeated number of cool water drops start fighting back against the unbearably humid air radiating from the several lava pools near some of the walls, lowering the atmosphere's heat to that of the bearable room temperature I'm used to. I join everyone else in the sitting circle and in taking out our Apples. A deep breath escapes my lungs as my muscles relax, knowing that I can finally have even a little bit of peaceful rest from the burning trek staining my fur and senses with sweat and fatigue (respectively of course). Even my left paw, the one that was bit, wasn't even wounded to the point of bleeding, just leaving a bit of a cut mark and minor soreness that I'm sure will subside sooner or later.

To add to the newfound tranquility of the situation, I overhear my fellow allies engage in small talk between bites of their food. It mainly began with how Buizel, Archen, and Bunnelby Alliance Attacked their way through their hostile bunch, then to Ludwig spotting the Chief knocking a Pyroar out by tripping on a rock to fall over onto it, rendering it unconscious through sheer overwhelming weight (even the Chief chuckled a bit at Ludwig's remark), and then the conversation shifted to the topic of how I handled the hostiles. Mainly, the Pansear. The turn for speaking is now on me.

"Erm…" At this point, I end up hesitating to the point where I'd leave my mouth ajar and let some chewed Apple fall out in the process, but I quickly stop myself from performing such an embarrassing gesture and get to speaking. "Well… something just kicked up inside me and I just left the rest to my instincts… I guess…" I shrug with uncertainty, my previous action even catching _myself_ confused at how oddly uncharacteristic such violence felt.

 _Am I… usually that aggressive in battle?_

Ampharos is the first to speak up during the awkward silence that followed, somehow keeping his sophisticated tone in between leaning his head down to take Apple bites. "Mmm… yes… perhaps it could be that we witnessed the true nature of you Fighting types…" He glances at me and gulps his Apple down to flash me a grin. "Looks like we'll have to exercise caution around you should we ever spar."

I raise an eyebrow at his last statement, glancing at everyone else to see them unfazed by his words and busy with their Apples. Surely the Chief didn't actually think of engaging in battle with any of us… let alone me… did he? He's currently given off the impression that a battle with him would end up being a clumsy skirmish… but now that I think about it… what if that's what he wants his opponents to think? It'd make sense, especially since a normally calm and rather lenient Pokémon like _him_ is the leader of a professionally established group that is Expedition Society(or at least, so I heard from the ramblings of a certain Snivy). The very realization that he's the tallest member of the Expedition Society makes me think as if he's the beacon that leads us during lost times… like a lighthouse, as odd as that comparison sounds. Lighthouse or not, perhaps he's been hiding a more serious side behind that innocent look that I should be wary of.

Actually… just hearing this small talk (which has just continued after Ampharos' last statement) is giving off feeling that Ampharos might not be the only one who gives off that surprisingly carefree impression. The way everyone else is exchanging banter, be it through informal wording or personal teasing, is enough for me to confuse this team of experienced explorers for a group of friends at a Cafe Connection outing. Suddenly… I don't feel as out of place as I did before.

I decide to participate in their conversation as I unconsciously take Apple bites while doing so. My entrance into the talk began mid-topic regarding a secluded place where the 'Expedition Society guys' (or so they referred to themselves as… me included) do actually perform some battle training against each other. Listening further while offering my occasional opinion, our talk about sparring eventually led on to become a debate on how well each of us could hold their own against the rest of the guys in… arm wrestling (which Archen immediately started complaining at while Ludwig scoffed it off). I think I heard about the concept somewhere… but sure, maybe I'd do well at this 'arm wrestling' thing.

 _These guys aren't the 'super competitive' types, are they? … wait, no, no, don't you forget, these guys are still Expedition Society members…_

The continuation of conversation helped to lighten the mood, leaving me at ease. At ease to the point where I almost end up forgetting that we're actually having a casual talk on a _volcanic mountain_ of all places. I chuckle at the small realization. However… my worst of fears decided to strike in my most vulnerable of moments… again.

My paws quickly rush to my ears as my muscles tense up, dropping my Apple in the process, leaving me to clench my eyes shut as the dreaded sound of mechanical beeping threatens to invade my hearing.

 _Come on… not now, not here! You can't seriously be telling me that everything at this point has just been me locked in a drea-_

My unconsciously prolonged moment of agony vanishes all at once when the beeping echo silences its intervals. Slightly relieved, I let my senses relax themselves to see a number of curious stares aimed my direction. That is, except for the Chief's, who I notice is walking a few steps away with his back turned and an Expedition Gadget pressed against his ear.

I take a few relieved exhales, adding a sigh to the breathing, before gathering my voice again. "What… was _that about?"_

Buizel glances over to Ampharos, an eyebrow still raised. "Someone must've contacted him. Probably Mawile to fill him in on the Primeval Forest findings so far."

"Oh…" I focus my attention on Ampharos. His expression is unreadable, which I take as a bad sign, especially considering the first thing coming to mind regarding the Primeval Forest team.

Buizel must've noticed my expression droop considering he responds with a concerned stare. "Still worried about Fia, huh?"

I slowly nod, my lack of will leaving the action to be done instinctively.

"Hey…" Bunnelby gives me a sympathetic look, his expression emanating a subtle gentleness. "She's probably alright. We'll end up coming across her one way or another. Maybe Mawile already found her. And if not… well… once this trek of our own is said and done, we fellows can help you in searching for her."

"Well… granted, if she isn't dead by then." Archen adds.

I lift my head to give him a stare, my gaze leaving him to chuckle.

Buizel gives Archen a nudge to the wing, the very gesture reminding me of a certain Grass type. "Don't mind him, Indigo. Archen may usually be like this, but regardless, we're all here for you when you need it. We are teammates after all. Isn't that right, Ludwig? … Ludwig?"

The Clawitzer's lack of a response leads us the four of us to face him. He seems to be staring off into the distance with what looks like an amused look on his face, his tiny pupils focusing their attention through his glasses at something invisible. I barely hear him mumble something. "... now I'm vhondering vhat roasted Snivy really tastes like…"

His statement leaves me in a state of shock that leaves me almost speechless. It is only when I hear Buizel clear his throat that I snap out of my little trance.

"A-Anyways…" he chuckles meekly as I face him. "Don't mind Ludwig either. He's _also_ usually like this. The point is… we're all worried too. We Expedition Society members have to be here for one another, after all. Though… I'm sure you'll be the most affected out of all of us since you're both close village friends…"

I let out a low hum in agreement before sighing. "I… I really wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to her, you know? It's not that I underestimate her capabilities, it's just… well… the only reason I'm actually here in the first place is because of how I followed along with her ambitions as a friend… but none of that will mean anything if… if…"

My mouth hushes itself before I could finish my statement, just the thought of it making me want to curl up and quiver in despair. The silence spreads to everyone else, turning the atmosphere dead still. No Apple bites, no whispering, nothing. Even Ludwig's previous Rain Dance has settled, leaving us all to silently sit with our thoughts while we can.

The reign of tranquility is finally vanquished when the sound of the Chief's slow footsteps enter my field of hearing. He takes his place back on his seat, a disappointed frown on his face. I don't know if the frown meant he overheard our conversation or his conversation with Mawile didn't turn out as fruitful as he'd hoped. Or both.

He clears his throat, his breaths as well as his tone taking a slight waver. "Everyone… as you may have noticed, Mawile took a second to contact me to inform me of her status. Sadly… Fia is yet to be found… but regarding other matters…" He takes an optimistic tone to match his faintly proud expression. "The group has located Celebi, who fortunately didn't attempt to ward them off with hostility, or ward them off at all. Right now the group is questioning his link with Entei as well with these stone Pokémon matters."

Buizel speaks up. "Looks like we have to pick up our pace, don't we?"

Ampharos' usual smile grows as he nods. "It appears so."

He gets up from his sitting position, the others proceeding to follow. Meanwhile, I stay put, deep in thought.

 _O-Oh. I should be getting up too, shouldn't I…_

My mind kicks at me. _Come on… didn't you resolve yourself to be better than this… you… you creature?! Worrying isn't going to do you any good, remember?!_

I take a deep breath, closing my eyes, then use the exhale as a little self-recollection moment to steel myself. When I open my eyes, I hold my head up high with my confident outlook returning, a burst of determination surging through me.

"Let's go," I say, a proud smile forming on my face.

Ampharos gives me a nod and motions to a nearby hallway to our right. "Good to have you back, Indigo. The stairway to the peak should be this way. Is everyone ready?"

The rest of us all nod in unison. Ampharos turns on his heel and starts leading us ahead… but not before Buizel and Ludwig rush to his sides before he changes his course of direction. I chuckle.

 _Looks like things are back to normal…_

I ready myself to step forward when an earlier detail suddenly comes to mind.

 _Wait… didn't I drop an Apple earlier?_

Slightly curious, I glance around myself to see… no sign. This very realization gets me even more curious about what happened.

 _Huh… last time I remember… it was just next to me, wasn't it? Wait, no… I'm probably making a big deal out of this…_

 _Wait, no… maybe a feral could've eaten that Apple… We're… we're not being followed, are we?_

"Hey…" A faint voice suddenly reaches my ears, as if directed at me. "... hey… Indigo… got any Oran Berries? I ran out…"

I widen my eyes at the voice calling out to me from a fair distance behind. It's slightly raspy and exhausted-sounding, but I can already detect a hidden liveliness within the nature of the speaker just from hearing this. The realization catches me off guard, the bubbling pot of uneasiness I felt this morning starting boil back to life within me.

 _No… it can't be…_

As if I wasn't convinced enough, something starts nudging at my shoulder with a familiar persistence. "Indigo… come on silly, can you even hear me?"

I slowly turn around, just in time to see the nudging vine withdraw back to its user hiding from behind a nearby rock. I almost didn't recognize Fia from all the dark dust and soot on her peeking head.

A sheepish look forms on her dusty face as she notices my shocked expression. "You… still have Oran Berries, right?"

Oran Berries are the last thing on my mind at the moment. A hurricane of thoughts start swirling in my head.

 _Of course…_ _ **of course**_ _she ended up coming here!_

 _And… she must've gotten hurt coming up here, too…_

 _But still! She… she…_

My paws continue clenching and unclenching, my mind unsure at if I want to yell at her or spill all my worried thoughts. Not wanting to start an argument in my own head, I shift my focus to something else and fish an Oran Berry out, facing her with the most neutral expression I can muster. Fia's expression, on the other hand, immediately lights up as soon as I pull the Berry out, and, rather than using her vines, she slowly walks out of her little hiding spot to take the bright blue Berry into her own hands. As she does so, I can't help but notice that the rest of her body is also just as charred-looking and covered with dust, evidence of a scuffle that must've ended badly for her, the only intact part being her scarf. She also must've used a lot of her items considering how flat her bag looks over her shoulder.

She's recklessly gotten herself burned with soot and injured with bruises to the point where I can't even see much of the bright green colour I normally associate her with… and yet, that look in her eyes that screams relief and gratitude as she starts biting my Oran Berry into nothing… it makes my expression droop with sympathy. The very fact that she can still find solace in the form of a Berry even in her current state is making me oddly emotional. But I can't just let her off the hook _that_ easily, can I?

 _No!_ A sudden jolt of instinct recomposes my neutral stance. Regardless of the situation, she still went through with something she obviously shouldn't have… somehow. Now to make sure she gets that… well, just as long as I lay the point without being too harsh.

"Fia…" I slowly begin, clearing my throat. "You… you're aware of what you did by coming here, right? Like… _exactly_ what you just did?"

She stuffs the last chunk of Oran Berry into her mouth, facing me with a drooping stare. "Y-Yeah… I know…"

I raise an eyebrow at her response. No defensive outburst or attempt to win over by sympathy or anything? Is she really going to submit?

She continues speaking before I could form my next question. "I know sneaking behind you all was dangerous… well, then so was jumping from my Wailord to yours, despite how admittedly awesome it was… but the point is, I feel bad that you have to see me like this, all beat up and everything," Her tone remains wistful. "I… heard what you said. Back when you were talking to everyone else. Please… don't blame yourself. I'll admit… this is entirely my fault."

 _She… heard what I said?_

I sigh and let my sympathy return. I give her a faint smile as I sit down, leaning myself against the rock. "So… I still have several questions. You know… about how _exactly_ you came here without notice or anything…"

Her eyes light up with energy as she sits down next to me eagerly. "Oh! You should've seen it! I waited until it was night when everyone was sleeping, then, right before the Wailord changed their courses to become further apart, I used my Leaf Tornado to launch myself through the night sky! I was flying and everything!"

Fia's story leaves me in a state of bewilderment. I resist the urge to slam my paw against my face in disbelief. _Why am I not surprised…_

I decide not to press on it and let her continue. And continue she does, facing ahead into the distance making occasional gestures to add to her remarks. "... so… there I was, a stowaway on your Wailord. Fortunately I had some Chesto Berries of my own so I didn't need to sleep much, but then came the actual climb. You might be wondering how I managed to keep myself hidden to the point where you didn't hear any footsteps, right?"

She turns to face me, as if waiting for a response. I nod slowly, making sure to show interest.

A proud smile makes its way onto her cheery expression. "Well, that's because I didn't even walk for the most part! Most of the time I either just crept along the ceiling stalagmites with my vines or just practiced my slithering on the ground… though, I guess ground like this is hard to slither on, but I still made it!"

I find myself raising an impressed eyebrow. I didn't expect a Snivy to be capable of much mobility, especially this stealthily… but then again, this is Fia. Surely she must've gotten tired of walking at one point in her life and decided to spice it up a little.

She giggles upon noticing my expression. "Cool, right? I've started sneaking like this ever since I had the idea of escaping chores from Pops! I was completely invisible! Well… except to the hostiles, but I still got past them. My attacks would just cause a stir, so I tried to get past them by using Glare… but it's tough trying to get close to them without getting hit…"

I chuckle. "Tell me about it."

"Even if I started collecting those green Emera things I've seen you pick up, I… still didn't have a good time against those Fire types… and then I ran out of Oran Berries, heard what you said, realized that maybe I _really_ wasn't suited to handling this place, and… here I am now," She looks at me apologetically and sighs. "I'm… sorry for worrying you."

I look at her and lay my paw past her back, brushing off some of the dust from the back of her head to reveal a familiar cheerful green. "Well… now that you've revealed yourself to me… I'm relieved for the most part… but as for everyone else…"

Just the last part of that phrase causes her to withdraw and stand up. "C-Can't we just keep this to ourselves?" She sheepishly grins at me. "Heh… heh… you know… because the Chief will obviously get mad if he found out… maybe I can just hide along with you until we get back to the Society! Yeah… maybe… maybe I can just hide out the rest of this exploration in your bag, or…"

At this point, the serious side of me that wants to scold her resurfaces. I stand up and give her a stern look. I can't just let her go through with this, but at the same time, I can't just scream my point out harshly… what am I, her caretaker or something? Either way, right now, I'm all she has, whether she likes it or not.

"Fia… you can't hide like this. I mean, look at yourself. Obviously everyone's going to notice the dust and the bruises that are still there…"

"Well, nothing a few more Oran Berries and a Cleanse Orb can't instantly fix!" Her sheepish tone remains as she chuckles it off. Her eyes trail down to look at my bag. "You… do have a Cleanse Orb, right? I didn't bring any Orbs, so…"

"Oh, I have a better idea," I hold my bag up and lift its flap. "I'm going to find an Escape Orb so you can get out of here. You might end up at the sandy area outside, but it's better to wait it out there rather than here… let me just…"

The abundance of items inside from Seeds to Berries ends up making it difficult to pinpoint an Escape Orb. I lay my bag down against the rock to free my paws up for searching, but nothing in my bag says 'Escape Orb' to me. I scowl at myself as I sling my bag back over my shoulder.

 _Of all the days I forget to bring one…_

My defiant stare towards the soot-coated Snivy stays still. "Okay, _better_ idea _._ How about I ask the Chief if he has an Escape Orb, and while I'm at it, fill him in on your status-"

Her sheepish look immediately breaks into a glaring pout. "But do you have to?! I'll get in trouble! And… I don't wanna know what the Chief will even do to me if I'm in trouble!"

"It's for your safety, Fia! You can't even fight in your current state!"

If my sensible side wasn't holding me back from Force Palm sticking her to a rock, I would have won this argument by now. On the other hand, she would have rendered my argument unwinnable for me if she used Glare, so we both have each other to thank to allow us to argue. However… I'd rather not push my luck any further, but what's left for me to do-

Then, as if to answer my calls, a familiar noise reaches my ears. Though, not a sound that I'd wish to hear echoing through my ears for the umpteenth time today.

 _Urgh, what now?!_

I hurriedly dig through my bag for the source of the beeping and take my Expedition Gadget out, almost fumbling with it in my paws at how loud the noise has become near my face. Following the Chief's gestures from earlier, I select an option to stop the beeping and press the device to an ear.

"Indigo!" My ears are met with the Chief's voice, the sound of his sudden distress almost making me jump. "Where are you? We're under attack!"

I mentally kick myself. _You moron! You forgot to press onward and now you're left behind!_

"Ch-Chief!" I stop myself from fumbling once more and compose my words. "I found Fia! She followed us here!"

"She what?!" The Chief's yelling voice is accompanied by the sounds of battle. The sound of what I presume is Ludwig crying in pain reaches my hearing, making me wince with worry. The Chief pauses before he continues. "Listen… Indigo… I know this might be a bit much, but we could do with some backup at the peak! Bring Fia if you have to!"

I widen my eyes with shock. The Chief's panicked tone is a frighteningly sudden change, but he can't have also turned mad… right? "Chief… pardon me for saying this during your time of need, but I think you're asking a bit much from me here… I mean, you saw me during that Monster House, sure, but what good can I do against an Entei? And if I can't handle it, then I'm pretty sure Fia can't-"

"Hey!" A vine starts furiously prodding at my shoulder. "Come on, I'm not that-"

"Indigo!" The Chief's panicked yell almost makes me jump once more. "This isn't Entei we're fighting here! And by how much trouble we're having, not any normal Pokémon for that matter! We need all the help we can ge- agh!"

The sounds of his scream, an impact of some sort, and the call cutting off all happen at once. I'm left stunned in silence at how quickly the event came and left.

But then the urgency of the situation comes rushing back to me all at once. I face Fia with a stern look. "I'm going. Stay here."

She crosses her arms, her defiant stare meeting mine. "No. You heard the Chief. He said I could go."

I sigh. Right now neither of us can waste time arguing. I quickly fish two more Oran Berries out of my bag and toss them her direction. "You can eat these on the way."

She catches the berries in her vines and nods. The two of us then proceed to break into a mad dash towards the hallway ahead, the staircase upwards approaching our sight. Even if Fia looks all sorts of injured, she's still surprisingly fast as usual… Still faster than me. I pick up my pace, taking caution so as not to trip while doing so, and emerge at the top to what I assume is the peak.

I am greeted by a flat rocky ground surrounded by jutting rocky protrusions, several large lava pools encircling it like a moat, the lack of ceiling revealing a smoke-filled sky and confirming my 'peak' suspicions. Three points of interest come to me; the heap of collapsed Society members to my left, the stone statue of Entei on the other end of the room, and the reeling figure of the Chief heading our way.

He reels to a stop and glances back at us, looking worn out and exhausted. His tone reflects this as he speaks through gritted teeth. "Indigo… Fia… you're here…" He pants, facing ahead. "It appears that these three are too strong… Perhaps I've been mistaken in thinking it was a good idea to fight back…"

He wobbles on his feet, the action immediately signaling me to stand behind him in case he stumbles.

"Chief!" I exclaim. "Do you… need an Oran Berry or anything?"

He takes a few exhausted breaths, sounding exasperated. "I think it would be a safer idea to get out of here first… I should have an Escape Orb in my bag-"

His response is cut off by another cry of pain when what appears a beam attack sends him soaring above me and to the collapsed pile of other Society members. Just seeing this riles me up to the point where I face ahead, Fia doing the same.

I stand ready, waiting to see the faces of these 'three' Ampharos mentioned. At this point I've become perfectly willing to fight back, despite all signs of the Chief's warnings. Fia's standing right beside me, looking just as battle ready. I don't know why, but with her, I get all the more pumped down to take down whatever adversary ahead. So what if this mysterious trio is responsible to the Entei stone statue at the other end of the room? I concentrate my focus ahead as Fia readies her vines… only for what adrenaline I have to give way to fear.

The dreaded sound comes back. That… that beeping! Except this time… it doesn't sound like an alarm. It doesn't sound mechanical, because it isn't coming from the Expedition Gadget at all. Instead, this methodical series of peculiar-sounding beeps are coming from the big-headed psychic trio levitating right in front of us, their eyes facing me with a familiar hostility as the lights on the ends of their arms continue beeping. Their stares leaves me in all kinds of shock.

 _No… it can't be… not them… not now!_

 **NOTE: Beta read by TheGOAT**


	21. 21: The Harmony Of Trust

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 21 - The Harmony Of Trust**

 **Primeval Forest, Mac's POV**

During the past few hours, Flaps and I have been flying around this labyrinth of a forest nonstop. Run up a tree, soar for a while, dive, empty clearing. Run up another tree, soar some more, dive, _another_ empty clearing. Rinse and repeat to the point where the sensation of the rushing wind feels like another fresh breeze to me now. Watching the sun's slow-but-sure descent between dives gets boring. The fact that we've been doing this uneventful routine until the sun's dip into the horizon doesn't help either.

On the bright side, all this flying and diving has let me notice each of Flaps' little improvements, be it a softer landing, a smoother penetration through the tree barrier, or even pulling up early. I suppose this makes it so that each failed search attempt had something different to it… even if I did run out of Oran Berries and Reviver Seeds from all the crash landings. I'm not sure how Flaps isn't sick of the taste considering he had to eat all of what I have. If it weren't for my shell I don't know how much longer our items would've lasted.

Thank Arceus Mawile contacted me to let me know that I can give up the search because Fia was at Fire Island Volcano… apparently. When Flaps and I traversed through the forest itself to meet back up with Mawile and the others _,_ we found them in a clearing to see Jirachi conversing with Celebi. From what I managed to hear, the two sounded surprisingly casual towards each other, judging from the occasional laughter from one of them. It wasn't too surprising, considering Jirachi being acquainted with Celebi was what led us to coming to Primeval Forest in the first place. Hopefully whatever he's talking with Celebi about is actually relevant, especially considering how Jirachi isn't _exactly_ one to stick to priorities.

After asking Mawile about Celebi's thoughts on the barrier I found (which even Celebi himself didn't have a clue as to what's inside; apparently the indestructible thing has been lingering there for the few years he's been as this forest's guardian), I asked for more details regarding Fia's unusual whereabouts. She told me that Ampharos contacted her while he was under attack, but his call cut off all of a sudden.

"Attacked, huh?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "Guess that Entei really isn't the welcoming type…"

Mawile's gaze turns stern. "It's not Entei they're fighting, Mac."

My expression turns slightly baffled. Why would anyone else other than Entei be up on the peak at a time like this? "Then… who?"

 **Fire Island Volcano's Peak, Indigo's POV**

When I willingly entered my battle stance for whoever was going to attack, I felt ready. When I realized that I would be fighting the Beheeyem trio, I felt scared. Now that they fired at our bags with a homing Embargo beam, rendering every Berry, Seed, and Orb inside them useless, I became downright terrified.

So terrified, in fact, that I almost didn't notice the amount of battle going on without me. I snap out of my little trance of fright to see beams, bolts, and leaves being fired left and right, but none of them directed my way.

 _Strange… I thought I would've gotten hit by now…_

I quickly shake my head and get back to being on guard. The Beheeyem are all currently levitating by the end of the area, near Entei's stone statue, swiftly dodging Dragon Pulse beams from Ampharos and Leaf Tornado attacks from Fia, firing back in between strafes. I could rush in to catch their projectile dodging off guard by dealing a physical blow to one of them, but then I'd be vulnerable to the other two…

My eye catches a window of opportunity, a Dragon Pulse from the left and a Leaf Tornado from the right causing two Beheeyem to strafe into the middle one, leaving them vulnerable to an attack from the center. They would part if I don't act, leaving things back to square one, so I decide to take this chance. Refocusing, I bring my paws back and concentrate, feeling the large orb of energy forming between them. Mentally wishing myself luck, I thrust my paws forward, letting the orb loose.

Fortunately, the Focus Blast stays on the straight flight course I hoped it would take, flying right to the Beheeyem trio's vulnerable spot and exploding. The impact kicks up a cloud of smoke and sends the three Beheeyem slightly reeling in different directions.

"Good move, Indigo!" I turn to my left to see Ampharos giving me a proud smile, still standing despite his worn-out looking state. "Those ruffians are much more vulnerable now that we've separated them!"

"Let's get them!" I turn to my right to see my soot-covered Snivy of a partner, just as eager as always.

Their contagious confidence ends up washing over me as well. I face ahead to see a Beheeyem still attempting to straighten its levitation after reeling across the floor. I don't blame it for looking so pained and taking its time considering my fair amount of times hitting the floor here.

But right now I have to fight it. I may have the size and type disadvantage, but with our other comrades knocked out cold and our items useless, all I can do is rush in and take the offense. If this is the case, then I might as well fight my hardest.

 _Here goes nothing!_

Clutching my bag's strap with one paw, I focus energy towards my feet and bound forward, feeling a burst of Quick Attack speed kick in. I end up closing the distance between me and the Beheeyem in the blink of an eye, catching it off guard right as it attempts to upright itself. Using my momentum, I hurl myself at the foe shoulder-first and successfully send it flying right towards Entei's stone statue. The resulting impact doesn't even budge Entei's petrified position one bit, but the Beheeyem's impact against it was enough to elicit what sounds like a garbled scream.

The urge to cover my ears came to me, but I end up becoming more interested in the object Beheeyem just collided with. Now that I'm this close, I can say it's definitely Entei, but the more I look at him, the more I think that something feels missing from his figure.

 _Didn't he have something on him back when we encountered him on the Air Continent?_

I hastily set that thought aside when the sound of a Psychic beam missing my head reaches my ears. The next thing I know, I'm crying out in pain and sent reeling across the ground when the impact of a Beheeyem's Steel Wing of an arm slams against the back of my head.

The contact of reeling against the rocky floor leaves me wincing in pain, but as soon as the sensation passes, I quickly prop myself back to my feet and turn on my heel. Fortunately, my reaction is just enough for me to catch the Beheeyem's next Steel Wing in my paws. With Beheeyem's glowing arm held in between mine, I end up meeting the monotonous stare in its green eyes.

I notice something of interest right above Beheeyem's eyes, some sort of blue glowing Looplet wrapped around its head.

 _Wait a second, wasn't that Looplet on Entei's-_

My thought is pushed aside by the emphasized force of Beheeyem's Steel Wing pushing against my grabbing paws. I push back against the increased force with my paws, concentrating on ending this clash. I focus all energy to my paws as a red Counter aura surrounds me and sends the Steel Wing's opposite momentum to my grip. With this brief spike in strength, I tighten my grip on the Beheeyem's arm and lift it over my shoulder before hurling the Psychic type away.

The oddly satisfying noise of Beheeyem crying out in pain leaves me with a smile on my face as it collides with Entei's stone statue once more, but this time the Beheeyem doesn't bother getting up.

A brief wave of relief washes over me as the realization sinks in. _Did I… actually beat a Beheeyem? On my own?_

I take a step closer. It doesn't stir. The opportunity to inspect the Looplet wrapped around its head comes to me. Slowly, I take a step forward and hold a quivering paw towards the Looplet, approaching cautiously just in case this Beheeyem isn't actually unconscious.

A brief second of silence ensues as I pause. _Okay… it's still not stirring…_

I gently lay my paw on the Looplet. Still no stirring from the Beheeyem. With a swift swipe, I yank the Looplet clean off Beheeyem's head and shove it into my bag.

I sigh in relief. _I don't know how useful this is, but if these Beheeyem are after it, then-_

"Agh!"

The sound of a pained cry reaches my ears from behind, instantly putting me on edge as I turn on my heel. Its source enters my sight in the form of my soot-covered Snivy of a partner soaring past me, reeling to a stop on the floor face-first. I briefly wince, but the urge to rush to Fia's need takes over my senses.

However, as soon as I ready myself to break into a dash, a certain other Psychic force ends up being the one manipulating my senses. I'm lifted into the air by a psychic force, coming face-to-face with an angrily glaring Beheeyem.

My eyes widen at the sight of the very Beheeyem I thought I knocked out. Other than bruises that should've been enough to render someone unconscious, I spot some sort of dark purplish aura crackling around it like electricity.

Panic takes over me as I realize this detail. _Okay, I'm sure that is_ _ **not**_ _a normal Beheeyem thing!_

Before I could channel my trembling fear into an struggle attempt, a metallic arm darts into my field of view for a split second before it smashes into my face. The impact causes a flash to fill my vision and elicits a choke of a cry from my throat as I'm sent flying for a brief moment. My soar then comes to a stop when I'm reeling across the ground on my shoulder.

 _Rrgh!_

Once I reel to a stop, my instincts immediately start screaming at me to get back on my feet and keep my guard up against the approaching enemy. However, instead of propping me up, my paws end up scrambling to clutch at the sore center of my face where the blow connected, that being my sore snout. Just brushing my fur across the surface of where the impact landed elicits a pained whimper as the pain starts to throb, blood leaking from my snout and its scent entering my senses. My paws stay indescisively hovered above the pained spot, reluctant to touch my snout in fear of sending another jolt of pain coursing through my body.

 _So what if your snout is bleeding?! Get back up and fight!_

 _C-Come on! The Beheeyem might be coming! Hurry!_

My pure sense of panicked urgency in my thoughts ends up barely overwhelming the sensation of my current pain, just enough to get my reluctant paws to lift me back to my staggering feet. After a quick check to see if my bag's still present, I readjust its strap over my shoulder right as the premonition of danger resurfaces in my mind.

Realizing the message of my raised pair of head dangles, I duck to a crouch just in time to see a pulsing Psychic beam from behind whizz right between my ears. The sound of its blast being eerily close registered into my mind as well, instantly putting me back on edge.

With a kick of the paw against the ground, I manage to spin myself around whilst crouching and break out of my duck in the form of a lunge behind me. The verification of my instincts' intuition registers when my pounce collides me with a Beheeyem, leaving me pinning the surprised Psychic type down.

All fear that took me prior was now overcome by pure adrenaline as soon as I reared a paw back and thrust it down. I made sure to slam it down as hard as possible between the Beheeyem's eyes so as to let the impact sink in, then allowed a faint Force Palm pulse to emit from my attacking paw. Smirking a bit at the successful connection, I quickly focus energy towards my stuck paw, already bracing myself for the aftermath of my incoming point-blank blast.

The violent energy pulse of the Focus Blast sends me flying for a brief moment across the ground, the sting of its blast still present on my figure. Fortunately, despite the shakiness caused by the pain in my limbs, I manage to grasp my bearings quick enough to manuever a landing on my feet instead of on my face. As if by sheer luck, I land in such a way that gives me a perfect view of the dust cloud right where the Beheeyem was, allowing me a sigh of relief at the satisfying sight of my doing.

"About… time…" I smirk for a brief second, but moments after my exhausted statement, the taste of my own blood reaches my senses. Memories of its source immediately resurface in my head.

Hesitantly, I brush a paw just below my snout, careful not to make contact with the sore location, and feel the reddish substance transfer to its fur. Taking a quick glance at the substance was enough to confirm my suspicions.

 _Still sore… still bleeding… Great…_

The urge to let out an exasperated sigh comes to me, but my emotion quickly shifts to shock when a levitating figure zooms out of the dust cloud in front of me. My astonishment is multiplied when I come across the realization that the uncharacteristically fast brownish figure is heading _my_ way. Panic rising within me gives my feet the urge to take a hasty step away, but I only get a split second to catch the Beheeyem's unyielding stare of hostility. Its threatening gaze ends up leaving me in a fear-induced trance.

Before I could even blink, a forceful headbutt imbued with psychic energy rams into my chest with the force of a speeding boulder. The impact leaves an amplified shock of pain to course through my entire body from head to toe before my limbs numb to the brink of collapse. However, the need for collapsing was left postponed as the Zen Headbutt also sent me soaring across the area once more, this time at a far greater speed. At this velocity, I didn't even have to glance behind me to figure out that the air rushing through my fur would halt in a collision against a rocky wall. A collision that would surely leave me in even more pain, possibly silencing me in the process.

With the impact of the attack leaving me with only a second to flinch, I clench my eyes shut and mentally prepare myself for the harsh noises of my bones snapping against rock.

In a peculiar moment of convenience, the acceptance of my fate ends up being unfulfilled when I end up landing on what seems to be a pile of flesh. Hastily, I glance behind me to see and sigh in relief when I realize I've landed on Buizel's unconscious figure rather than what my mind rushed to think. Judging from how no grunts were elicited from my landing spot, the Beheeyem must've done quite the number on this heap of four to leave them in this state of sleep.

 _Argh… if only I could get back up…_

The recollection of the Zen Headbutt's aftermath ends up leaving me to wheeze in pain. Even if I could bring myself to get up, I was left in no condition to deal hits or take hits. My paws were left to tremble weakly from the psychic energy they were exposed to and a purple bruise just as sore as my snout already formed where the Zen Headbutt connected. My wheezing leaves me desperately pleading for some Oran Berry juice, but the only juice I have access to was the foul-tasting one leaking from my snout. Even if my bag was still with me, strap and all, the dark aura around it conveyed that Embargo is still in effect.

 _Come on… it has to wear off eventually…_

Suddenly, another darting figure heading my way enters my sight, but I quickly notice how this figure is much smaller than a Beheeyem, bearing a soaring state similar to mine just a few moments ago. Even if it took me a second to recall why her figure lacked a familiar green, I still leaned into position in hopes of cushioning Fia's momentum.

I try my best to hold back a pained grunt as the impact of Fia's speed transfers from her body to the bruise on my chest all at once. She lets out her own pained grunts as well, meaning that I'm not the only one in this state of pain.

She slowly cranes her neck to look up at me, evident weariness in her tone. "Oh… did they… punch you in the face, too?"

The mere imagery of Fia having to go through the same Steel Wing punishment I had forms a guilty lump in my throat. I slowly nod with a solemn gaze, giving a quick glance over her. She is still as soot-covered as before, but because of this, it was hard to determine which marks on her body were soot marks or bruises.

I muster what I can from what rasp is left from my voice. "I don't… think I can get up at this point…"

Fia's eyes widen for a second before she hops off of me, quickly turning to face me with a defiant look. "Indigo…" She lets out a few coughs for a second. As she does so, her usual tone determination of confidence returns. "Indigo. Come on… you can't give up now. I can sorta see why you were so afraid of these Beheeyem before, but look at me. I'm burnt and beaten, but I'm still standing here on my feet. I want you to do the same."

I can't help but halfheartedly chuckle. _Easier said than done… your legs aren't weak to psychic exposure…_

As much as I admire the determined confidence shining through Fia's pep talk, my weakness to these Beheeyem in typing ended up leaving me in a state more injured than she once was. Oran Berries can't help me now.

But what can?

 _Is lying down here… really the only thing I can do?_

Of course, on the other hand (or… paw?), I can't just shoot down Fia's insistence at a time like this. I know I willingly rushed into the fray to give these Beheeyem a proper payback, but a handicap like this doesn't mean I'm out for the count just yet. The flickering flame of my fighting spirit is still there. If I can at least bring myself to stand up, maybe I can get by with simply using poorly executed tumbles to dodge, or even use my bag has a makeshift shield. If close quarters combat isn't going to help me, then I have my Focus Blasts. That's _something._

Confidence sparking up within me, I hold my paws out. "Can you… at least help me up?"

Returning the smile, Fia grabs my paws with her hands and pulls me up. My legs stagger once more as they're forced to support my weakened body, but a second of firmly planting my feet on the ground is enough for me to at least stand upright.

My standing posture regained, I flash a confident smile Fia's way, which she returns.

 _Heh… look at us._

Here we are, standing on this volcano mountain's peak facing what might as well be our toughest battle yet. Right from when I woke up in this world, it's been challenge after challenge. And now the days I've spent as an Expedition Society member have only greeted me with missions escalating in difficulty, now coming in full circle when now I have to face the first obstacle I've encountered.

And there's no one else I'd rather be facing these Beheeyem with. Even if this might as well be a losing battle for me and Fia, that won't stop us from still trying. For every challenging trek we've gone through are moments of us rising in the face of adversity. With my fighting spirit rekindled, I'm confident that this would be no different.

The sound of an impactful blow causes the two of us to turn to its source ahead. Still standing in the middle of the fray is the Chief, who just managed to send a Beheeyem reeling with what I assume was a blow from his fist. As impressive as the sight of seeing our usually-clumsy leader in the middle of a heated brawl is, my attention is quickly caught by the Beheeyem reeling our direction. Judging from Fia's look of realization, she must've noticed it too. We glance at each other and nod, almost as if reading each others' minds.

 _Let's do this._

As if like magic, what shakiness in my legs started to completely disappear as I bound forward in quick strides towards the reeling Beheeyem, Fia still by my side. Rearing a paw back as Fia readies to swing with her vines, my blazing confidence sends a wave of energy through my body, almost as if revitalizing me. Slightly perplexed by my sudden energy, I cast a glance downwards to where my attention is caught by a blinding glow emitting from beneath the Looplet on my neck. A blinding glow coming from the scarf. A quick glance at Fia reveals that her Harmony Scarf suddenly started bearing the same glow too, as if in sync with mine. My energized senses immediately tell me that this glowing is the source of my sudden energy. Before I can question it any further, I suddenly realize the two of us have pretty much finished closing the distance with the reeling Psychic type.

The time has come to finally strike. As I forcefully thrust my paw forward, the sudden energy fueling me feels as if it's reached its limit. Even with all the momentum I've put into my blow, it's as if time itself has stopped and kept all of us frozen in this moment in time. Coupled with this strange sensation is the strengthening energy from before continuing to flow through me, pumping strength into every being of my figure in a way that feels complete.

A voice suddenly flashes through my mind. " _The Tree of Life will give you two the strength you need."_

 _Wait… wha-_

And with that, before I could fully process the voice, time starts moving again, the unsuspecting Beheeyem finally getting its just desserts in the form of a paw strike and a vine smack to the back of the head. While the sight of seeing a Beheeyem sent flying to the wall is satisfying, my attention is immediately caught by a detail that leaves immediately catches my eye. It confuses me in a way that pushes the thought of the voice in my head aside like it was just an afterthought. I notice that the paw I thrust forward had a metallic-looking spike portruding from its backside.

A look down at my paws gives me the realization that this was no mere hallucination. I notice that both of my paws have one of these spikes, these little portrusions short but sharp-looking at the tips. Even on my chest where a bruise once was, in its place stands yet another spike. In a startling moment of realization as to why I'm not writhing in pain from these sudden pointy penetrations among other things, it hits me.

"W-What the?!" As if looking at my own amplified features wasn't sufficient, the sound of my own matured voice is more than enough to confirm my thoughts.

Riolu I am no more.

I don't know when, but somewhere in the seconds ago, the process of evolution must've taken me by surprise and I didn't even notice it. Did it happen when I felt that spurt of energy pulsing through me from my scarf-

 _My scarf!_

The realization causes me to glance down where my scarf would usually be wrapped, only to be met with the sight of nothing but the fur of my neck beneath my Looplet. I raise an eyebrow.

Then comes the vaguely familiar voice to my left. "Whoa! Indigo! You… look so cool!"

I quickly perform a double take as I turn to the side. While the voice I heard had a hint of the amazed tone I'd expect from Fia, it was also coupled by an unusual sense of matured sophistication, as if sounding regal.

My perplexed thoughts are answered when I end up seeing not a Snivy, not a Servine, but a _Serperior_ to my left, her expression just as amazed as mine. Where my soot-covered dusty partner once stood was now replaced by the sleek but formidable looking coils of bright shades of green, bag hanging off an extended shoulder portrusion where I assume her vines would come out. While I do know that I've never met a Serperior before, this regal-looking one right before my eyes is undoubtedly Fia, judging from her amber tint in her red eyes.

While the two of us could continue gawking at each others' evolved forms or question the unusual evolution that skipped Fia's Servine form and made our scarves disappear( _Did they fall off during the evolution or something?_ ), we still have a battle to fight. The shift from surprise to confidence on Fia's face reveals that she realized this too.

 _And with us in better fighting condition than ever… this battle just took a completely different turn._

The sensation of adrenaline pumps up my Lucario form as we face ahead to see two Beheeyem charging our way. Fia and I give each other quick nods and ready ourselves to retaliate with our newfound strength. I hold my paws behind me and take a deep breath.

 _This isn't an Aura Sphere… but it'll have to do!_

I thrust my paws forward, using the amplified energy coursing through me to hurl a Focus Blast projectile twice as large as one I would normally use. A smile comes onto my face as I realize the similarities in size with my Focus Blast and its target's head. However, my moment of satisfaction dissipates when my Focus Blast projectile does so.

My eyes widen at the source of my Focus Blast's fizzling out; some sort of projectile beam fired by the Beheeyem. The assumption of a Psychic beam immediately comes to my mind due to the projectile's familiar shape, but my surprise turns to horror when I notice the beam's unusual colouration. Its menacing shade of dark purple screams tones of malicious intent into my senses, this tint eerily similar to the crackling aura I saw surrounding the beam's shooter earlier.

Even given my newfound psychic-resistant Steel typing, my senses still go full on defensive and force me to bring my paws up in front of my face. I brace myself for the shock of the blow, clenching my teeth as I feel the beam make contact. My attempts at blocking end in vain when I feel a chilling energy phase through my paws and pulse through my body. A shudder-inducing wave takes its effect by piercing me right down to my bones, threatening to slow every fabric of my being to a hardened stop. My senses immediately start screaming at the permanent petrification starting to eat me from inside.

However, almost immediately, the dark force locking up my limbs is expelled by a sudden rejuvenating energy. What feeling of forced stiffness that was present before is washed away by the sensation of my limbs loosening back to control.

 _This… energy… it feels just like the one I felt not too long ago._

With the aftermath of the beam's expelling leaving me without a single scratch inside or out, my look of surprised relief meets the confused distraught of the Beheeyem in front of me. A triumphant smirk forms on my face when I realize that the next deciding blow is mine for the taking.

 _Well, whatever that energy was that caused my evolution… and prevented that beam's effects… time to put it to actual use!_

One blinding bound forward later, I thrust a paw ahead and strike the Beheeyem right in the face, adding to the outward momentum with a Force Palm blast. The sensation of every bit of powerful momentum pulsing right from my paw to the Beheeyem's entire body leaves a satisfying taste of adrenaline in my senses, urging me to continue with a follow-up blow. Without even breaking a sweat, just the thought of bounding forward gets my legs working at a speed that might as well fool me for teleportation. Yet, even at the speed of the moment, the pure speed of my mind's reactions synergizing with my movements give me this feeling of complete control despite spending less than a minute in this new body.

Making the most out of my momentum, I pounce forward foot-first, managing to land a kick at a speed faster than the Beheeyem was reeling, lodging it into a wall. With my target cornered, I find myself waving my paws in front of my face in a mystical fashion the gesture somehow channeling visible blue energy to their very tips. Once I move them to a position right in front of my chest, I forcefully thrust them forward in a sudden transition of speed.

However, rather than feeling my paws successfully make their smashing impact, they end up being the first to fall victim to some sort of Psychic-induced shockwave before the influence takes the rest of my body over. A sudden pulse of weightlessness courses through my body before I'm sent for a short soar. Fortunately, repeated sessions of being sent through these humid drafts have taught me well, and thanks to my enhanced reflexes, I somersault safely onto my feet, the only major setback done being our newfound spacing.

A quick cautious look of examining my landing site reveals that a Serperior to my left is experiencing the same distance situation, staring down her distant adversary and probably planning how to attack next.

She catches my stare and shoots me a stiff look. "You know… Indigo… as much as I love taking my Serperior-self on a crash course, we should get this over with before I use up all of my new tricks."

I catch onto her faint smirk accompanied by the hint of her familiar battle-excited tone and immediately piece her suggestion together.

 _I like where this is going._

I quickly turn ahead to see the two Beheeyem levitating in place. However, rather than preparing for an attack, the sound of faint beeping indicates a conversation of some sort.

Then, all of a sudden, they both to turn to face us, one of them gesturing to me with an arm. I vividly recognize the pointing Beheeyem as the one I went one-to-one against earlier, so it doesn't take me long to realize that he's pointing at my bag.

 _So that Beheeyem really wants the Looplet back, huh?_

I get my paws ready in a fighting stance and see Fia doing the same.

I flash her a confident smile. "So, ready to show me one of your 'new tricks'?"

She replies with a smirk. "It'd be my pleasure."

The two of us turn ahead to see the two Beheeyem levitating towards us, glowing arms at the ready.

"Just follow my lead, Indigo," I turn to see Fia with a determined smile on her face. "These two won't see what's coming."

Even if I've known her to be reckless at times, there are times when she actually knows what she's doing. That undeterred tone of authority emphasized by her Serperior features prove enough to confirm that this is one of those times. Instinct or not, I just know it.

I glance ahead to see the two Beheeyem starting to close the distance between the four of us. Even with their dead stares oozing with malicious intent, I find myself with no reason to be afraid. I'm not a little Riolu anymore. There is nothing but pure energy and adrenaline in this body that is left up to my full control.

Time to let loose.

"Here it comes, Indigo!"

I only have a split second to think when I feel the wind Fia's Leaf Tornado taking me from behind and launching me into a forward soar. Fortunately, I only had to relive the sensation of humid air flowing through my fur for a split second before I get my senses to maneuver my paws back into a running stance. Making use of the speed added to my dash, I channel the momentum into my paws and thrust them at the Beheeyem in front of my face. Judging from how my target didn't immediately respond by blocking with a Steel Wing or a Psychic shockwave, my sudden burst of speed must've caught it off guard. It certainly caught _me_ off guard, because after I sent it reeling from my paw strikes, I forced myself to skid to a stop on the ground, which left a minor sting.

"Over here!"

A quick turn towards the source of the voice reveals the figure of _another_ Beheeyem being flung at me by a vine. With a swift motion, I grab it by the head and toss it to where its other ally lay, adding to the satisfying sound of collision against rock.

"Okay, Fia," I turn to face her with a perplexed look. "What's that all about, hurling that Beheeyem at me and-"

"Good, good!" I'm met with a delighted look from her end of the battlefield before I could finish. "Get ready to launch them into the air, okay? I paralyzed mine, so you don't have to worry about subduing it much."

"Wait, wha-"

"I have my reasons, don't worry!" She interrupts me with a pout. "Come on, Indigo, the battlefield's not a time to start worrying! Trust the process!"

I would attempt to protest once more, but Fia's look was enough to show that a vine slap to the face was coming my way if I didn't listen. Or maybe it could just be me.

I sigh. … _she was talking about those Beheeyem as if they were her dolls or something…_

Speaking of dolls, a quick glance at the way the Beheeyem were sprawled out on the floor _almost_ made me understand Fia's tone for a second. Definitely beaten to the point of fainting, but still barely stirring. Without dwelling too much on the thought, I quickly approach them and place on paw on each of their heads, activating a Force Palm stick as I do so. My gesture earns me uncharacteristically shocked looks from the Beheeyem.

 _It'll all be over soon, you two… hopefully…_ The mere thought almost made me chuckle at how _I'm_ the dominant one over these two for once.

I quickly turn on my heel and look up at a slight angle, readying the 'launch' part of Fia's instructions. However, rather than getting a view of the mostly smoky sky above, my eyes catch a distinct green figure who's launched herself into the air with a Leaf Tornado and is staring down at me expectedly. Even if Fia's a fair distance airborne, I can still see the look in her eyes going, "Over here!"

I only have time to widen my eyes for a second before the situation recalls itself. _Fia, you better know what you're doing!_

With my paws pointed at Fia's angle, I ready a Focus Blast on both of them, the blasts immediately blowing up and releasing the two Beheeyem from my grips. The impact of the double detonation elicits a brief cry from me as I end up on the receiving end of reeling into a rock wall.

Thankfully, my Steel-type figure paid no heed to the rocky impact, leaving me to easily get up and shake it off better than the point-blank Focus Blast recoil. Good thing I got up in time, too.

I quickly notice Fia's mid-air figure wrap around the two Beheeyem before she maneuvers herself so that she and the Psychic types are plummeting towards the ground. The sight of Fia quickly descending to crash the Beheeyem headfirst into the ground leaves me speechless… in several senses. While the sight of seeing the Beheeyem squirm helplessly in Fia's squeeze is amusing on several levels, on the other hand-

 _You can't seriously be trying to pull something like that! Not when you're that high up into the air!_

The familiar feeling of panic floods my senses as I start bounding towards the shadow of where Fia's soon-to-be landing site would be. However, my strides are interrupted when the plummeting figure from the sky crashes down into the ground full force, only leaving me a split second to shield my eyes from the resulting dust cloud.

 _Fia!_ The mere thought overwhelms my safety reflexes and got me intent on focusing on the clearing dust particles.

All I'm greeted with is the sight of the two Beheeyem sprawled in a crater, their state looking even more beaten than before. Definitely fainted, but the absence of any kind of blood leaves me perplexed for a second.

 _What, are these two just going to end up completely rejuventated all of a sudden like before?_

A more pressing matter recalls itself into my mind when I realize that _only_ the Beheeyem are in this crater, no Serperior in si-

"Hey-"

The sudden voice from behind as well as the tap on my shoulder is enough to make me cry out and surprise and turn around to meet a look of equal astonishment.

"Fia!" I immediately yell, letting the shock in my voice show. "What were you thinking, diving down the air like that?! I thought you were going to blast them away with some follow-up attack, but _this?!"_

"Re _lax,"_ She replies with a dismissive wave of a leaf… arm… thing. "I jumped off at the last second, so I'm fine. It would've been much easier if I still had legs… but still, I'm fine. Besides, even if I did plan on smashing my head into anything, I would've prepared a vine helmet first."

As if by demonstration, Fia pauses to take a vine out and loop it over the side of her face until several vines find themselves wrapped on the top of her head like several layers of ribbon.

"See?" She gives me her usual grin, the familiar childishness looking obscure on a Serperior's face. "You worry too much, silly. Doing that midair stunt exhausted me like crazy, but the point is that we beat these Beheeyem, right? Up top!" She swerves closer to my direction and raises a leaf appendage.

I raise an eyebrow at the sudden gesture, but for the sake of keeping the awkward silence away, I let my paw touch one of her leaf's stubby ends.

 _Though… seeing these Beheeyem defeated like this… she does have a point._

A faint smile comes to my face as the adrenaline from before starts slipping away. "Yeah… we did beat them, didn't we?"

With the dust now literally settled, the urge to spontaneously collapse from exhaustion starts coming to me, somewhat akin to the urge to rest and rejuvenate my slipping energy. Rather than doing either, I close my eyes and take a long, slow breath, letting the feeling of calm settle in.

Immediately after letting out a satisfied breath, the sensation of shocked surprise rushes to my senses. When I exhaled, what came out was the sigh of a Riolu. My closed eyes turned widened.

My surprised stare finds itself face-to-face with an equally confused Snivy, green as can be, adding to my shock.

"W-What the?!" I cry out, only to gasp at the sound of a voice that was not as adult-like as it was before.

I immediately look down at my paws, and everything from the absence of my spikes to the distance from my gaze to the ground confirms my suspicions.

 _Come on… all that Lucario and Serperior stuff… was I… dreaming? Hallucinating, maybe? That can't be the case… bag, check. Looplet, check. Scarf…_

I pause as I recall the accessory. There it is, still wrapped around my neck on the space beneath where I'm wearing my Looplet, looking completely untouched.

Normally I wouldn't be worried, but I suddenly remembered that last time I checked when I was still a Lucario, _that scarf wasn't there._

 _Wait, wait, wait, I thought this thing fell off when-_

"This is weird… Indigo, I'm not dreaming, right?" I tear my gaze up from my paws to see a dejected Snivy staring down at her own hands in a similar state. "I know I didn't pay attention during Miss Audino's health class, but I know this _isn't_ how evolution works…"

"I guess I'm not the only one lost, then…" I blink for a few seconds, pausing to let the details sink in. "I'm… starting to question reality as a whole at this point…"

 _There's got to be some reasoning behind this, ri-_

"Uh… Indigo? Indigo!" My brief thought is halted by Fia's look of horror peering over my shoulder.

Even in my body's exhausted and adrenaline-drained state, the urgency in Fia's voice is enough to make me quickly turn on my heel to see the threat levitating behind us. Another Beheeyem.

However, turning around is all I manage to do. The only other thing I manage to see is a multicoloured bolt of electricity crashing down from above the Psychic type. While I could just hold my paws up and brace myself for whatever incoming attack's present, my senses immediately scream at my to cover my ears instead.

Thank Arceus I do so. What sound my paws manage to block off ends up leaving the muffled booming sound of thunder to reach my ears, the cloud of smoke kicking up in front of me reflecting its intensity.

What sounds ended up following after I hurriedly set my paws down were the sounds of coughing from me and Fia. Even with the particles of dust threatening our lungs, I narrow my eyes in an attempt to see the danger ahead as the obstruction clears itself. I'm greeted to the sight of the Beheeyem's body levitating for a second before spontaneously collapsing, the smiling figures of the Chief and the other four Society members standing behind it.

My eyes light up in relief, allowing me a proper sigh as the Chief approaches us.

"Are you two alright?" He asks, his frown reflecting his concern.

I respond with a smile. "Well… we are, thanks to you." I glance down at the fainted Beheeyem in front of us, electricity still crackling around its figure. "I… almost started wondering where that Beheeyem went."

His lip curls to the faintest of smiles as his tone is energized with a chuckle. "Well, you really shouldn't be thanking me exclusively." He steps aside to allow the other four to step closer. "It takes a team's effort of force to knock a Beheeyem out like that, and that was only because it was alone and already weakened. Though, if you were to allow me the credit of _something,_ it would be for having enough Reviver Seeds on hand."

Archen steps forward. "Chief, did you really have to go for the Thunder? You could've screwed up that last second save by missing!"

Ampharos merely chuckled Archen's statement off. "But of course." He lifts his arm into the air, taking his proud pose once more. "Whatever I do, I do it stylishly! You don't need to worry yourself, for the worst possible scenario I can think of is that I _do_ miss and thus would've had to take out more Reviver Seeds."

I deadpan for a second. _To emphasize on safety or style… he really can't make up his mind, can he?_

A realization suddenly makes its way into my head. "Wait, wait, wait, Chief, you used _Reviver Seeds?"_

Fia steps forward to my side, sharing my look. "That means we can get out of here, right?"

With a proud smile, the Chief reaches for his bag and pulls out an Escape Orb. "That we can. However, are you sure we should escape here without apprehending these fiends first so that we can turn them in?"

"That…" I pause for a second. "... is actually a really good idea."

To finally apprehend the three Pokémon that troubled me on my appearance in this world would _certainly_ lift one more worry off my shoulders. No need to worry about them ambushing me anymore. From the looks of it, they seemed to have turned Entei into stone, so giving them a proper interrogation and finally getting the reasonings we need would _definitely_ be satisfying.

"Er… fellows?" Bunnelby speaks up, a hint of confusion in his voice. "About those three Beheeyem… where'd they go?"

 _Wait… what?_

My eyes immediately dart to the locations of the collapsed Beheeyem, only to see nothing but figure-free indentations in the rock.

I notice Ampharos' expression shift back to a troubled frown. "Those ruffians… to teleport like that in an instant without any trace whatsoever… As if their ability to turn Pokémon to stone and get up from the most severe of injuries wasn't abnormal enough…"

 _And right when we had them…_ I double check the crater in front of us. No Beheeyem. _We really aren't dealing with normal Pokémon here, are we?_

I glance to my right to see Fia sharing my look of disappointment.

Ampharos sighs, slowly shaking his head as he readies his Escape Orb arm. "No matter. Perhaps the opportunity to apprehend them shall come another time. There are more pressing matters I wish to discuss."

 **Somewhere in the middle of the ocean, Fia's POV**

 _Mmm… I almost forgot how good Apples are…_

Under the night sky, sitting comfortably right on the spot where the Wailord's back curves to the tail, and left to the sounds of the sea… what a way to end the day. The Apple generously given to me by Indigo just makes it even better.

I take a satisfied sigh as I swallow another chunk of Apple, my eyes still fixated on the line where the dark blue night sky meets up with the almost-as-dark sea. After all the excitement I've had to endure today, I don't mind some quiet atmosphere time all for myself.

Okay, maybe not _just_ for myself.

My ears catch the still-going conversation going on behind me, making me crane my neck to catch a glimpse at everyone else sitting there. All six of them sitting in a circle, their attention just so happenning to be focused on the very Pokémon I'd rather spend this skywatching session with.

For the sake of being part of something Indigo's in, I _could_ just scooch myself into the conversation on Indigo's Beheeyem story… if I hadn't already listened to it already.

 _Oh what the heck, why not?_

I quickly get up, finish my Apple, and do just that, making sure to sit myself next to Indigo.

"... is that so? Is that everything you have to say?" Ampharos asks him.

He nods. "That's all I know. I… don't think we encountered them at the volcano because they were following me… at least, I hope so."

 _And I just so happened to pop in right when he finished telling the story._ I resist the urge to sigh. _Well, at least I can still listen in._

"The only other inference I can make is that they were there for Entei…" Ampharos leans his head down to stroke his chin. "... which of course would link them to all the other Pokémon turned to stone… but I still don't understand their motive. What benefit could they possibly gain by using such a convoluted method of neutralizing a fellow Pokémon?"

 _Now that he does mention it…_

"Actually… I think they were after this," Indigo fishes through his bag for a quick second before presenting a Looplet of some sort. "I managed to take this from a Beheeyem…"

My attention is taken by the mystical-looking Looplet in Indigo's paws. Its shape indicates that it is undoubtedly a Looplet, but the unique shine and tint it has tells me that there might be more to it. I don't know why, but I feel like I've seen something like this before, but not this up close.

 _Aha!_

"Wait a second!" I speak up. "Didn't this Looplet belong to Entei?"

Indigo looks at me with a nod. "That's what I think too. Maybe these Beheeyem are after these special Looplet… things."

As Indigo continues presenting the Looplet to the others, I notice their looks grow with interest.

"Hey, Chief, haven't we seen Looplets like that before?" Buizel speaks up.

"Hmm…" Ampharos' intrigued look remains. "I feel like it's been quite some time since I've seen something of the sort, yes…"

"I feel like I've read of Looplets of zhis caliber in a book somevhere…" Ludwig adds, his small claw fixed to his glasses.

"Sounds to me that if they really are after this thing, then this won't be the last time seeing them…" Archen mumbles.

"Indigo, if it isn't too much to ask, may I keep that Looplet for the time being?" Ampharos asks. "I'll be sure to inquire Mawile about it once we all reconvene."

Indigo nods, handing the Looplet over. Once Ampharos silently accepts it into his bag, he turns back to face us—me and Indigo specifically—with a smile that looks almost childishly excited.

He rubs his hands together in a way that only adds to his suddenly eager look. "So, with the discussion of the Beheeyem and that Looplet done with for the time being, it's about time we discuss the Donphan in the area."

I hurriedly look around myself. _There's a Donphan around here?! Here of all places?!_

"Er… that being?" Indigo replies with a raised eyebrow, sounding surprisingly calm _despite the possibility of a Donphan stowaway in the middle of the ocean._

"It should be obvious as to what I'm referring to," Ampharos replies, his smile still present. "Surely you couldn't have already forgotten it in the moment's passing." He glances behind him to face everyone else's expectant looks. "After all, I'm sure all of us here would consider such an evolution spectacle to be unforgettable!"

The following nods by the others are enough for the realization to sink in, leading my mind to stray away from the previous concern.

 _Wait… so that wasn't just some sick fever dream?!_

Ampharos inches closer to us. "So, from one evolved Pokémon to another, what's your secret? Is this reverse evolution trick some sort of genetic advancement you young Pokémon possess at birth?"

"Uh… well, I don't think so…" Indigo replies. "For… explanation's sake, what's evolution normally like?"

"Ah… where have the times gone…" A sudden look of remiscence appears on Ampharos' face. "Even if I've evolved twice, it's been far too long…"

Ludwig hovers forward. "Well, I suppose I can answer…" He pauses, his gaze trailing off. "Ah, yes… it was like an overvhelming amount of energy coursed through my veins and spread everyvhere… most of it heading to my right claw, of course. It did take me a while to get used to my larger size, but after a bit, I felt as in control as I did as a Clauncher. Well, a levitating Clauncher, to be more specific."

"I… guess I felt like that too…" Indigo comments.

"I wish I could levitate," I speak up. "All I got were missing legs and a voice in my head."

All of a sudden, Indigo turns to face me with a look of realization on his face. "Wait… you heard it too?"

I raise an eyebrow. "So that part wasn't a dream, either? Did the weird lady voice say something about a Tree of Life thing, too?"

His eyed widen. "It… did…" He quickly turns to face the others. "Do any of you know of a Tree of Life?"

"A… Tree of Life, you say?" Ampharos responds. "I presume it's one of those secretive places that only a chosen few know of or have access to. Like with almost every location associated with mythical Pokémon. Sadly, I know nothing about such a place."

"I don't think any of the books I have describe zhis location…" Ludwig adds.

"Doesn't sound like it'd be an easy place to go searching for," Bunnelby speaks up. "For all we know, that 'tree' part might as well he metaphorical! Or that 'life' part! Or the-"

"I'm sure you're just overthinking this, Bunnelby…" Buizel responds.

 _I'm still on edge about the whole voice being a dream thing or not… this isn't helping._

"Whatever the case…" Ampharos clears his throat, making sure to silence everyone in the process. "... I'll be sure to inquire Mawile about this location as well. Perhaps Jirachi might also know a thing or two. Is that… all you have to testify regarding your mysterious evolutionary phenomenon?"

"Erm… actually… I think our scarves might have played a part as well," Indigo adds. "Not only did it seem to be the source of the evolution-causing energy, but mine vanished all of a sudden while I was a Lucario and reappeared all of a sudden when I turned back, as if it was always there."

I quickly replay the series of events in my head.

"Now that you mention it… I couldn't see my scarf when I evolved, either!" I add.

"Hmm… so you say your scarves might have been involved?" Ampharos replies. "Well… I would've supposed they were special in some way considering Jirachi's ability to fireproof using its substance, but not to this degree…"

His pause makes my expression stiffen. _He better not 'take these for the time being' too._

Ampharos finally speaks up. "Where did you get those scarves, again?"

Indigo remains silent. I'll actually have to be the one replying this time.

"I just so happened to have them at birth when I was found." My tone quickly grows defensive. "But neither me nor my Pops knows where they actually came from, honest!"

Ampharos raises an eyebrow. "Pops?"

I let my tone slip away. "Oh, he's a Carracosta. He's my adopted dad. Well, I didn't actually adopt _him,_ but… you get the point."

My statement is met with faint snickering, almost tempting me to whip my vines out at the sources. The only thing stopping me is Ampharos' sudden focused stare at me and Indigo, probably at our scarves.

"Jirachi did use one of your scarves to fireproof a bag, did he not?" He finally asks. "I suppose I'll question him about it since he probably has your scarf's data in his resource scanner."

"Resource… what?" I ask.

"One of his inventions," Buizel responds. "I could elaborate about it, but… those specifics are a long story for another day."

"Agreed…" Ampharos slowly nods. As soon as he finishes, his expression shifts back to his excited grin. "With that being said and done, I would to remark on how astonished I was at your performance in your evolved forms! Such strength, pulled off with such style too!"

Indigo puts a paw to the back of his head and chuckles. "I mean… all we did was beat two Beheeyem-"

"Oh, come on, Indigo!" I quickly stand up and hold my head high. "We just evolved, beat some Beheeyem, and lived to tell the tale! I don't know about you, but that's _definitely_ something to be proud of in my book!"

 _At this point, I'll gladly take any praise from the Chief while I still can before he remembers why I'm even here in the first place._

"Your evolution was truly special in more ways than we've already discussed!" Ampharos continues, only furthering my pride. "You handled those Beheeyem as if they were any other hostile Pokémon! Do you know how much extra force I had to put in a Fire Punch to send one flying half the distance you two have managed?"

"Wait!" I speak up. "Were we actually _that_ powerful?"

He nods. "It certainly felt like I was under the presence of Awakening-influenced Pokémon. That's certainly saying something."

"A… wakening?" I ask.

"I'm pretty sure that's an Emera of some sort…" Indigo says to me. "I actually studied up on that."

"Okay, you." I quickly sit down to give him a gentle shove to the arm.

Fortunately, the Chief didn't notice my little half-hearted gesture because he was still busy beaming.

"All this talk on your evolution is getting me all the more eager to look further into it!" He says. His tone fades as his gaze trails off to the sky. "Alas… how could I forget that now is not the time for such excitement? I've yet to announce that we can take our dinners now!"

"Actually… Chief?" Buizel speaks up with a muffled tone, Apple in paws. "The rest of us have already decided to eat while you were talking."

"Dear heavens!" With a hasty and shocked tone, the Chief quickly turns his back to us and joins the other four in their Apple eating.

 _That's… one way to get this conversation over with…_

With the Chief joining everyone else in their eating circle, that just leaves me and Indigo sitting here in a moment of awkward quiet.

I break the silence. "So… today's been quite a day, huh?"

Indigo takes an Apple out of his bag and bites into it. "Hmm… you can say that again."

"Today's been-"

He cuts me off with a chuckle. "You're still in a really good mood, aren't you?"

"Well, why wouldn't I?" I slowly make my way over to my previous sitting spot. "Today's trek was on a whole new level of exciting for several reasons, I got to experience evolution of all things, and… well, this view's nice."

I hear his approaching chuckle as he sits down next to me, Apple still in paw. He looks at me with a faint smirk still on his face. "Is that a challenge? Let's see… well… you risked drowning yourself in the ocean by Leaf Tornado-ing over it, you got yourself charred beyond recognition…"

"Hmph," I give him an exaggerated pout and punch him in the arm. "At least the Chief didn't scold me about it."

He shrugs, his tone becoming monotonous. "Yet."

The silence comes back. I quietly sigh and let my gaze lift to the stars above. My attention is fixated onto how unique their dotted alignment is, each of them shining in a way that makes them all look harmonious with each other.

 _Harmonious…_

I let out a more audible sigh. "I'm sorry about coming here. I know it was dangerous… but I was just really worried, you know?"

 _I really must be clingy…_

"Same here…" Indigo responds, his gaze locked ahead. "Now I'm just confused as to why we argued earlier even though it was just nothing but worry. But… I guess all did end well, and, in a way, I'm glad you're here."

My eyes widen as I look his direction. "Really?"

He looks back with a genuine smile. "How'd you think I would've done against those Beheeyem if it was just me? I don't know if I would've even evolved at that point if it weren't for the reassurance of your presence."

"But you seemed to do just fine in all the other battles before that."

"Believe me… I was trying very hard to," he chuckles. "There was still this worry at the back of my head that constantly nagged at me no matter what. Guess our concern for each other really took its toll, huh?"

I giggle. "That's normal, right? I mean, we're pretty much the closest of friends! We got our own duo name! And our scarves are a special representation of our bond!"

"Well, you're not wrong when you say they're special…" He pauses. "... You didn't happen to know about this evolution thing all along, did you?"

"Hey, I'm just as confused as you are!" I respond, my tone turning defensive. "If I actually did know about it, then I would've told you in advance!"

He chuckles. "I guess that means our evolutions really took the both of us by surprise."

"Well, you have to admit it was exciting!" I let my tone shift to excitement. "Being a Serperior made me feel so much stronger! Though, losing my legs did make moving awkward at first, but at least you got lucky with your evo-" I pause as the realization hits me. "Oh, wait… you had to get used to being in a new body _again,_ so I'm not in any position to complain."

"Hmm?" His eyes widen. "Oh, you're talking about _that…_ Well, this might sound weird, but I felt oddly used to my Lucario form, as if by muscle memory. I… didn't feel much different than I did in my Riolu form. Well, except for the boost in power and confidence."

"So… it was as if not much changed in the first place?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. "This isn't going to spiral into another mystery… is it? I just hoped these were normal scarves that were just really comfy."

"I'm afraid so… there's the matter with the voice, too… but those are questions for another day… We might as well enjoy what time we have before we find ourselves involved in something else…" He pauses, focusing his gaze above. "This really is a nice view."

I let my voice soften. "It is… though, I still think it doesn't top Serene Village's. The sea's nice, but I'm more of a 'fine breeze' type of Pokémon. Plus, you can't go wrong with a tree's roomy shade."

He turns my direction. "You're… really quite the enthusiast for atmospheres like this, aren't you? I wouldn't think an excitable type like you would enjoy calm places like these."

I giggle. "We should really learn not to keep secrets from each other, then. We're the Longshot duo, after all. Do _you_ happen to have any secrets you're not telling me?"

"Hmm… well, okay, I'll give in to your trust exercise…" He pauses. "I… don't think there's much you don't already know… Have I… ever told you I think you're pretty?"

I hesitate. _Okay, I did not expect him to take it this seriously…_

"P-Pretty… what?"

"Er… just pretty," He chuckles. "I just find your stare… charming." He pauses for a second. "I could use these stars as a comparison. Bright and pretty, just like you."

 _The… stars?_ I lift my gaze towards the sky. To see all those beacons of the night and have myself be compared to them leaves me in silence.

"Is that enough of a secret-for-secret exchange for you?"

I break from my trance-like stare to see Indigo facing me with an expectant smile. He raises an eyebrow. "Well?"

"Do you… really mean it?"

He chuckles. "I've spent… enough time with you to be sure of my words. I meant what I said."

His genuine smile and his unwavering tone catches me off guard. There's just something about his suddenly steadfast vibe that just makes himself sound all the more confident. This type of confidence isn't something unfamiliar to me: I've noticed he goes through quite the shift during battle. But to look right into his eyes and see this defiance… with the topic being on how good I look of all things…

 _Indigo…_

"W-Well…" I finally break the awkward silence caused by my staring. "... for the record, you aren't too bad looking yourself."

 _But as a Lucario, I have to say-_ Thankfully, I manage to keep my mouth away from my thoughts.

He chuckles, his smile still remaining. "I… appreciate the compliment. So, is that the end of your little trust exercise?"

 _W-Wait, we were doing a trust exercise?_

I quickly form a response. "After today, I can definitely say that I've learned to trust you more."

Indigo responds with a raised eyebrow. "So no more launching yourself across the sea?"

A smirk creeps onto my face. "Depends. Do you trust me enough to worry about me less?"

"Hmm… depends." He smirks back.

Even given the fact that I spoke on impulse, I really did mean it when I said I trusted Indigo more. As much as I do worry about him, he worries just as much, turning mistakes into two-person consequences. Trusting each other is the only way to get the most done…

… that's what he was trying to tell me, right? Because that's certainly what I've learned.

 _Well… other than a reminder of how much he cares…_

As I quickly recall the exchange we just had, a soothing feeling starts swelling up from inside me, leaving me with a feeling of comforted safety as Indigo and I remain staring at each other. Just the two of us here with the company of the sky and the stars...

 _I live for moments like these…_

Slowly, I move my hand forward to where his paw is, our smiling stares still locked in peaceful silence. Eventually, my hand finally reaches… a smooth red surface that definitely isn't fur.

Indigo's expression quickly shifts to one of surprise as he breaks away from my stare. "I… forgot this Apple was in my paws… Guess I got so caught up in our conversation that I forgot I was still eating this…"

I quickly withdraw my hand as he brings the Apple back up to his mouth.

 _That's… one way to get this conversation over with…_ I sigh.

Indigo, probably hearing this, gives me a stare. "Want one?"

I quickly shake my head. "No, no, I'm fine…"

 _Hmm…_ An idea comes to my head. _I'm… sure he wouldn't mind…_

Hastily, I stretch a vine out and direct it into my bag, pulling out my Expedition Gadget in the process. After quickly swiping through its options, I let my vine hold it up and lean my shoulder against Indigo's, making him let out a surprised grunt. I don't give him any time to process my surprise gesture, instead, I just smile for the camera.

After the sound of the shutter, I'm met with his widened eyes as he swallows a piece of Apple. "You… aren't seriously going to have that picture framed, are you?"

I giggle. "And why wouldn't I?"

"You didn't give me any time to properly smile or anything," He protests. "I… think I might have had bits of Apple on my face, too…"

"No big deal," I say with a wave of my hand as I bring my Expedition Gadget down into my view. "I like your surprised look better. Really looks more _you."_

"Well, isn't that _surprising."_ He says with a chuckle.

After poking around on my Gadget a bit more, I put it back into my bag and keep my shoulder pressed against Indigo's side.

 _Mmm…_ I let my head rest against his shoulder. … _now I feel warm inside and out…_

"So…" Indigo says after taking another bite. "... you sure you're not hungry?"

"Don't worry… at this point, I'm already satisfied…" I close my eyes and let out a relaxed sigh.

Before I know it, a paw slowly finds itself around my neck and to my shoulder, pulling me closer to Indigo's side.

"Well… in all honesty… so am I…"

 **NOTE: Salutations, reader! Apologies this chapter took so long to get out, several personal issues got in the way. Though, you might have noticed some of the few side projects I got out in the time being. Well, either way, I hope this long and quite eventful chapter made up for the long wait! And with another chapter published means another chapter to wait for, so, in the meantime, a review would be very appreciated! As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read through this, and I hope you have a good day! :D**

 _-flareon71_


	22. 22: Overcooked Thoughts

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 22 - Overcooked Thoughts**

 **?'s POV**

It's been a while since I left "home". And by left, I mean on them long-range explorations and deeds of the sort. About time I did, though. The last thing I'd want would be to end up feeling rusty and not live up to my purpose.

Fortunately, rusty I wasn't.

"It was no big deal, really," I say, wearing a smirk as triumphant as the Looplet prize twirling on my finger. "It was a good idea sendin' me to take care of an Electric type. Getting that Radiance Looplet was as easy as pie. Bacon wings, though? He almost got cooked just flyin' there!"

"For crying out loud, stop calling me that!" The voice to my side screeches. "None of us here even know what this 'bacon' is!"

 _Neither do I… Bah, curse the vague depths of my mind…_

"Oh. I'm just glad I didn't tag along for Raikou, even if it meant I had to take Suicune on my own…" responds the meekly monotonous voice to my left. "... why did I take the solo mission for Suicune's Tempest Looplet, again?"

"Because your meek demeanor makes for the most flawless deception," I reply. "You're a surprisingly good swimmer, too."

"Oh. Couldn't one of those three have tagged along so that we all could've been in groups of two?"

"You mean _them_ blinking buffoons?" I shoot a glare their way, my Looplet now gripped tightly in my hand. "Well, since you asked, normally those three perform best together since they're… let's say… not as 'Pokémon' as we are." I grit my teeth. "But that ain't a proper excuse to come back empty handed!"

Their attention is caught by my raised voice, makin' them jump. "W-We had our reasons, I swear! Come on, we at least succeeded in turning Entei to stone!" one of them cried in that familiarly garbled voice it has.

"Can it," I say sternly, narrowing my eyes at the artificial pleading tone in their voices. "If bacon wings and swimmer boy here pulled through, I would've at least expected the _three_ of you to get that Wildfire Looplet from Entei. You might as well be the ones to deliver our loot since Dark Matter's _your_ creator and everythin'."

They could only gulp as Raikou and Suicune's Looplets were tossed their way.

I call out to them right as they teleport away. "And you better make sure not to get caught in that forest, you hear?!" A sigh escapes my throat at the absence of them multicoloured blinkin' lights.

"Oh… the forest? There's only one Pokémon that's there to avoid, right? Can't Dark Matter just turn him to stone so there'd be less to worry about?"

"I used to think the same thing, swimmer boy," I respond. "But then I figured that if Celebi goes missin', that'll warrant some investigation from anyone who comes across him, and that forest is the last place we'd want to get thoroughly searched. Dark Matter could also just do his mind controllin' stuff to win Celebi over to our side, but he's got enough minds to manage already. Seven's quite the number, and that's minus Dark Matter's own mind. All we have to do regarding that forest is just let Dark Matter do its own thing and hope them Beheeyem don't get caught or else the jig is up. Good thing Celebi's staying silent about what's really in that forest for tradition's sake. "

"Tradition, you say? How peculiar. This sounds like something only a legendary Pokémon like myself should know… yet, you seem to have more knowledge about that forest than me. You haven't been making secret visits to that place, have you?"

I smirk. "And how would I have done that without asking you for flyin' help? Just trust me on this, everythin' I've said about that forest is pure… instinct. I just happen to know it, that's all. But enough about that forest. Right now we got this mountain all to ourselves, just the three of us. Now, who wants to talk plans?"

"Rrgh…" I hear a guttural growl from the beast to my side. "I'm utterly sick of you being the authoritative one."

"Not my fault I have the most cunning of this group," I reply, smirk creepin' onto my face. "Next time ya think you're worthy of authority, need I remind you of the time you willingly surrendered your Looplet instead of accepting a ticket to the Voidlands? You should at least be thankful I let ya live."

All I'm met with is grumblin'. As to be expected.

"Besides…" I add. "... Dark Matter's resting right now. Must be real difficult not being able to see properly and all but still attempting to take on that tree. The energy from those new Looplets should help for the time bein', but that doesn't mean we still can't plan ahead."

"Oh. So what's the plan, again?"

I reach into my bag and pull out a piece of paper, unrolling it. "Next up on the to-do list is…" I pause. "Weird… these three aren't mentioned to have Looplets… or legendary Pokémon. Apparently Dark Matter has a personal grudge with this trio or somethin'... but one of 'em is listed as 'dead'... now I'm real confused…"

 _Did those meddlers get him or somethin'? I wouldn't be surprised… those darn elusive meddlers…_

"Well…" I roll the paper back up. "... I know Dark Matter wants us to start neutralizin' these other possible threats, and I can understand that. With that bein' said, how 'bout we start planning to make up for our recent mishaps? Let's go startin' with why we don't have ourselves a Wildfire Looplet right now."

"Oh. But… you shooed the Beheeyem away."

"I'll listen to what them buffoons have to say later. There has to be a reason they failed… and once we find that out, that Wildfire Looplet is going to be ours for the takin'. Might take out some other possible threats on the way, too."

"Sounds easier said than done… now, how do you suppose we tackle such an objective, hmm?"

I smirk at the sound of that familiar taunting tone.

 _Even if I don't know the full story, I can already tell I'll have to come up with some improvisin'... but at this point, I'm absolutely positive the others won't mind._

 **The next morning, Expedition Society Headquarters, Fia's POV**

 _It's already morning… and it doesn't seem like anybody's noticed. Well, whether they remember or not… at this point, I'm absolutely positive the others don't mind. Maybe._

I yawn, drowsiness still evident from my legs to my shoulders. Waking up this early in the morning never really clicked with me, even after… well, _maybe_ a year's worth of school. But at least at school we were given chairs to sit on while whoever was in front of the room was talking.

Well, at least I have some daydream time to myself.

 _And if they don't mind… then… I have nothing… to worry about… just as long as Ampharos doesn't bring my stowaway thing back to light…_

I blink, trying to refocus my vision before it could fade into darkness. The last thing I want to get caught doing here of all places would be to fall asleep in place. I quickly glance around myself to get a grasp on my vision.

 _Okay, focus… I'm in the meeting room… waiting for the briefing with everyone else…_

I let my sleepy gaze scan more of the room around me, allowing me to catch sight of everyone else sleepily waiting about for Ampharos and Mawile to finish talking with each other. Even the still atmosphere from the amount of _nothing_ going on is drowse-inducing.

 _They're all sleepy too… I don't blame them, considering how early we arrived… so maybe falling asleep on the spot won't be so bad…_

"So… Indigo… I'm sure you won't mind if I fall asleep right now… so…"

I pause, only to recall something as my sleepy nerves reach my shoulder once more. A look down to my left is enough for me to remember everything that went on after the Wailord stopped at its destination. Everything from his sprawled-but-sleeping figure on the floor to my vine still wrapped around his tail starts making my sleepy mind stir.

 _Of course… even after all that, he's still asleep._ A humorous smirk forms on my face. _You know, Indigo, you're being a real_ _ **drag**_ _right now…_

Rather than a chuckled response, all Indigo does is quietly snore away.

I let my vine release its grip from his tail and withdraw it back into my shoulder. My stare remains focused on the sleeping Riolu in front of me, almost intently, as if I'm still expecting a response at this point.

My look turns thoughtful as my smirk softens to a smile. _I… never really got to get a good look at how peaceful he looks while he's asleep…_

What drowsiness I had all changed into curiosity as I keep my eyes fixated on Indigo's dozing figure. _I'm sure he won't mind if I watch. I think it's about time I got back at him for our first day in the Society…_

However, I quickly push that thought aside before I could continue to lose myself. _I have to wake him up somehow… hmm… how can I wake him up? Do I have to resort to slapping him across the face again? What if I-_

I'm only given a split second to hear the sound of a throat being cleared before that same sound ends up jolting Indigo back to his feet. His eyes are left as widened in surprise as the astonishment formed in mine.

"Ahem… everyone! If I may have your attention…"

I quickly follow Indigo's forward gaze to see everyone else also getting into meeting position at the sound of Ampharos' voice.

 _If only I had that amount of attentiveness whenever someone called from the front of a room… Definitely would've helped during class, that's for sure._

A moment of hesitation stays for a second before intuition takes over and leaves me to stand in position with all the others, placing myself beside Indigo as usual. I put my full attention on what Ampharos has to say.

 _Alright, here's to hoping he doesn't have much to say about what I did yesterday!_

* * *

By the time Ampharos finished his part of the exploration recap, I was already trying my best to hide by ducking behind the audience.

 _I should really leave… wait, this isn't class, right? So technically, that means I can ditch!_

Quickly snickering to myself, I slowly crouch out of view and get ready to lower myself to a slither. Just before I could let my stomach touch the ground, I feel something furry grab my hand.

"Come on… you're not going to leave… are you?" I lift my gaze to see Indigo giving me a look.

My expression drops to a frown as I respond with the same hushed tone. "But he's mentioned my name and what I did and everything, so everyone's going to look at me! And when everyone gives me those weird looks, that's the part where I skedaddle!"

"Ske… what?" He appears puzzled for a second before quickly shaking his head. "Just… never mind…"

"Maybe we can _both_ hide it out until something happens that makes us less likely to the be center of attention," I respond, looking up at Indigo with a perky smile. "Ampharos is definitely going to mention that evolution stuff, so if we leave now, we can both escape whatever humiliation or unwanted attention is waiting for us!"

He blinks, a confused frown still on his face. "I… don't want to say exactly how many things are wrong with that idea, but either way… it won't work. Besides… I don't think you were listening to what Ampharos was saying. He sounds like he's almost done speaking, actually…"

 _Wait, almost done speaking as in-_

"... always remember to perform your best out there!"

What sound of quiet murmuring I've been hearing from all the others immediately grows to an uproar of cheers after Ampharos' sentence. In my current position, my face would've crashed into the ground if it weren't for Indigo still gripping my hand.

 _Arceus… okay, so that's what he meant._

Once the chorus dies down in a fading instance, all the silence leaves is my quiet sigh of defeat. Grumbling to myself, I tug my hand free from Indigo's grip and prop myself back up on my two feet. As I steady my balance, greeting me are the glances from all the other Society members, but not in the way I expected. They do give me the usual passing look I expect from walking by, but that's it.

"Wha? They're… walking past us?"

I turn to the sound of Indigo's voice to see a smile on his face. "Heh heh… Before you ask, Ampharos specifically told everyone not to start flocking over us about all the evolution stuff. Probably because it was our first long trip exploration… which would've tired us out more than everyone else here… something around those lines."

 _He said that?_ With a raised eyebrow, I put a hand to the side of my pursed lip and another to my elbow. _At this point, I'm not sure if Ampharos is on my good side or my bad side…_

Breaking out of my train of thought, I lower my hands and face Indigo. "So where's everyone going, again?"

"Since all of us just got back from distant areas… Ampharos said today's our day off. That probably means he's giving us time to restock on items, do some little explorations, or pretty much do whatever we want…" He gestures to me with a casual point of his paw. "Speaking of restocking, I think that's the first thing _you_ should be off doing…"

I give a quick glance to the bag limply hanging by my shoulder. Given how light it's become recently, I don't blame myself for forgetting it was there in the first place.

I look back at Indigo, letting my expression droop into a pitied pout. "But what if I can't afford to buy back all those Apples and Berries?"

"Kecleon doesn't even charge that much for them in the first place… but if that's the case, okay…" He shrugs, chuckling with a faint hint of mischief. "Guess that means you'll have to stop seeing Cofagrigus…"

My tone grows offended. "You wouldn't dare!"

"You need to stop buying Mega Donuts, Fia… They're too expensive…" His tone shifts to a familiar concern. "Besides… we get Mega Donuts from Swirlix for dinner, anyways…"

"Which is who you'll be staying with today."

 _I didn't say that._

The tone of authoritative clarity makes the two of us turn to see Ampharos standing straight right beside us.

 _Oh… him._

"Oh… hello, Chief," Indigo gives him a little wave. "I… didn't quite catch what you just said…"

"I wasn't quite referring to you, Indigo." Still smiling down at us, Ampharos pivots so that he's facing me. "Fia, regarding what you did on arriving at Fire Island Volcano, due to disobeying a direct order, I'm afraid you'll be restricted to helping Swirlix with kitchen duties today. In other words, no leaving the Headquarters."

"W-Wha?!" I exclaim, taken aback. _And he says it with that usual gentle smile on his face…?!_

"Please do understand. Actions do have consequences. I do at least trust you not to leave through the front door until tomorrow."

"But-"

Before I can even continue, Ampharos turns on his heel and starts walking towards the stairs opposite the main door, moving with a slight carefree sway to his step as if he hasn't even heard me.

My scowl returns as he disappears up the flight of steps. _And he's back to being on my bad side…_

"Looks like that changes what I'm doing for today…" I hear Indigo say as he adds a faint chuckle. "In all honesty, I expected this day to be the another… you know, 'let's go exploring somewhere' thing."

I raise an eyebrow at him, not quite catching the direction of his uncertain tone. "Is that a good thing?"

"Actually… there are still some things on my mind I would like to… spend time learning more about. I'm also still quite tired… so I think I'll just stay here in the building for the most part. Other than going out to restock, of course."

"Well…" I lean to let my bag's strap slide down my shoulder, catching it with my hand. "... you can at least buy those items back for me. You know, to get back for when you made _me_ carry your bag the other time." My expression perks back up as I giggle.

"Sounds reasonable," Indigo replies, giving his faint but friendly smile as he accepts my bag. "Now… I can rely on you _not_ to come outside… right?"

I curl my lip in a thoughtful gesture. "Hmm… maybe it can't be _that_ bad. I might be able to get some of those Mega Donuts…"

"I'm… pretty sure you still have kitchen duties to get to… whatever those are…"

"You mean that cooking stuff?" A smirk comes onto my face as I flick my wrist in a gesture. "It can't be that hard. I watch my Pops make Oran Berry stew all the time!"

* * *

I take a slow pace forward. My gaze remains the most focused that it's ever been as my stance continues shaking like a leaf. The heat simmering in front of me only grows with every small step I proceed to take.

 _I can do this!_

A smile starts to form on my face as my vine tightens the grip on its weapon with an equal amount of confidence. I slowly bring the shoulder appendage forward, getting ready to take action and thrust.

Right now, I have to focus. It's just me, this weapon thingy in my vine, and the smell of… the smell…

My nose twitches.

"Oh dear, the Mega Donuts are burning!"

The ringing sound of the nearby cry sends a wave of shock to rise up from my feet all the way to the shoulders. In my shock, an instinct snaps, forcing my outstretched vine to lash forward.

"Eek!"

I turn my surprise into a scream as I feel the object in my vine's grip lodge under something. However, this also means that my vine puts itself even closer to the source of the heat. The sudden hot sting immediately forces me to withdraw my vine but in such a way that makes it lift the handle of what it was holding, sending the brownish object it was lodged under flying overhead in the process. My eyes follow the burning smell as its source soars above me.

The flying piece of food is followed by several other burnt food objects flying over my head, all of them with a luminous aura of some sort as if they're being levitated. When I turn around to where the last item is, gently placed on a plate with the others, I'm given a huffy-looking stare from Swirlix herself.

The bluish glow in her eyes fades back to tame pink hue as the psychic influence leaves the last floating Mega Donut. She leans closer to me and opens her mouth as if to yell, but she quickly hunches back with a deflated expression to match.

She slowly sighs, the childish-looking way her tongue sticks out adding to her gentle look. "Even if you did burn these Mega Donuts… I can't be too harsh on you." She slowly tilts her head and gives me a comforting smile. "There's a first time for everything, dear."

"That's funny, normally Pops would absolutely lose it if I burnt something… not that I'm an expert at that kinda stuff." I let out a mischievous giggle as I say that, quickly changing my expression to a smile caught by the contagiously soft look of Swirlix's. "You're not mad, right?"

"I suppose it can't be as bad as when Archen was grounded to doing this. At least you only partially burned a few of the surplus," Swirlix lets out a hearty chuckle, turning on her heel to face the table. Afterwards, she turns back to face me with perked up inviting grin, a silver plate of burnt brown goods being levitated my way. "You can still have these if you want, dear. I noticed that you seemed quite intent on getting these."

 _Grounded, huh?_ I giggle as I accept the plate of food with my vines. _Certainly doesn't feel like it to me._

The first Mega Donut I decide to pick up ends up feeling hot to the touch, which really left a seed of regret in my mind since I tried picking it up with my hand. But the taste of the Mega Donut (even if it was burned) still made the whole thing worth it.

My expression lights up in a mixture of relief and pleasure as I swallow my first bite. Swirlix notices this and gives off her hearty little laugh as she walks past me.

"Do they still suit your fancy, dear?"

I eagerly nod, earning me a response in the form of Swirlix joining in with a chuckle once more as she turns to face the big metal box thing… I think she called it a 'stove'.

 _I don't think I can see myself going near that thing again… well, unless Swirlix asks. But in the meantime…_ With a sinister glint in my eyes, I turn back to face the platter of Mega Donuts still held by my vines. … _you're mine!_

Learning my lesson from last consumption, I take a second to blow all over my Donuts before picking another one up. Even if these Donuts are burnt, they don't taste _that_ bad. They're slightly browner and have an odd crunch to them, but I still really like what dry taste is left, especially since I cooked that taste myself. Of course, that still doesn't stop me from appreciating who cooks the even better Mega Donuts for dinner.

I shouldn't really be surprised that the Society's chef has as much passion in her personality as she does in her cooking. I usually try to watch Pops whenever he's cooking up some stew, and I can definitely say that he is much happier when he's busy Scalding some Oran Berries. But in the time I've spent here, Swirlix seems to be just as sociable and cheerful whether or not cooking is the topic of conversation.

The sound of humming makes me slowly turn around to face Swirlix as I notice her tinkering with the stove, floating more bowls and items towards her. As I continue chewing, I can't help but smile at how comfortable I feel around Swirlix. It just feels like I can talk to her about literally _anything_ on my mind and I'd get a nice casual conversation out of it. And I just only started to get to know her!

 _It must be really easy to gain my trust…_

I expected being restricted to the kitchen to sound like a punishment along the lines of sitting in the corner and 'thinking about what I've done', that kind of stuff. Instead, what I've been given so far is the opportunity to cook, free Mega Donuts before dinner, and a new friend.

"The spatula, dear."

"Hm?" I raise an eyebrow at the shift of Swirlix's murmur.

She glances back at me with a grin. "You still have it, don't you, dear?"

"Hm… oh!" I swallow the food on my mouth in realization, using my hand to pull the spatula from my vine's grip.

"Thank you, dear," Swirlix says, floating the handled-object her way. She then reveals more of her smile as she turns to sneak a look at my plate. "Oh dear. You've finished already?" She lets out a little chortle.

With a raised eyebrow, I look down at my plate to see nothing but my reflection and some crumbs.

"Aww…" I let my expression droop with genuine disappointment.

 _I didn't even feel the plate get lighter… guess I got ahead of myself while I was busy thinking…_

"Don't worry, dear." Swirlix laughs. "We'll just have to cook us some more."

My expression lights up, but only for a split second before I realize the implication of a certain word. "Wait… 'we'? You don't mean…" I trail off, letting my eyes slowly move their gaze to the firebreathing stove.

"Yup!" She heartily laughs some more. Afterwards, her cheery expression then shifts to a gentler one. "It's nothing to worry about, dear. If you're going to spend most of the day here, then I might as well try to give you how to get things cooking. Better than being like some cookies and staying out to cool, right?"

Even with Swirlix's encouraging voice, I still can't help but remain peering past her to see where the frying pan sits, right on top of a ring of small flames nipping at it.

 _Now I understand why Pops always tells me to stay away from his stove…_

My eyes catch a shift in Swirlix's expression, making my gaze shift to see her now with a noticeably concerned smile.

"Dear… I'm sorry if I'm being a bit too pushy for your liking. I… know the Chief uses this kitchen as a form of punishment for the other members, so I'm trying to be as hospitable as I can. Better sweet than salty, I always say. Actually, depending on the food." She chuckles.

As I find myself biting my lip, all hesitant emotion swelling within me starts melting at Swirlix's expression.

I let my stiff shoulders loosen. "Well… okay, I'll give it a go."

I notice Swirlix's expression perk up as she steps aside. "I'm really glad to hear that. Here you go dear, this time I've just put some spare Oran Berries on the pan for you to watch over. I even lowered the heat settings."

Placing the previously held plate back to the table behind me, my vine accepts the spatula levitated my way. I glance to my right to see Swirlix giving me a reassuring nod as I step closer. My vine draws its little food-flipping weapon towards the firebreathing box, pointing itself at the frying pan housing some gently heating Berries.

I feel the cloud-like touch of Swirlix's fur slowly nudge me from behind. My legs slowly inch forward to where the Berries enter my view, allowing my spatula to gingerly poke at them.

 _Okay, maybe this isn't that bad… Why was I afraid of this, again? This stove thing isn't even taller than Swirlix! And she isn't that much taller than I am!_

In one swift movement, I let my spatula find itself under an Oran Berry and flip it. The result leaves the Berry pathetically flopping out of the frying pan and onto the edge of a plate conveniently placed beside the frying pan.

"Oh! That's a nice one, dear! You could've let it cook on both sides, but I suppose it's a start," I hear Swirlix say from behind my shoulder. "Hmm… maybe try using your arms. You might be able to do better flips by using your limbs."

I snicker to myself as I get my vine to start poking at another Berry. "Says the Pokémon who uses telekinesis to move stuff around."

My ears catch the heartiness in her chuckle. "Fia, dear, I'll have you know that not having hands is a real challenge. I doubt my feet would be of much use even with my morsel of levitating prowess, and using my mouth for the spatula is just plain unsanitary. Besides, it helps to have another potent Psychic around here."

"Oh yeah…" I let my head slightly tilt to the side in a thinking gesture. "Jirachi, right?"

"That's him. He's much better than me at this whole Psychic thing since he didn't have to use a TM, but I still try my best. At least what I yield is edible!" She chuckles. "I take pride in my work, as you can see. So much pride, in fact, that I sometimes indulge in the buffet before everyone else arrives! I'll admit, it hasn't earned me the greatest reputation around the Society, but habits are habits…"

I glance back at her with a glint of intrigue in my eye. "Sounds mischievous. I like mischief."

"I know what you mean, dear," She adds with a laugh. "I like to add some spice to my routine every now and then so it doesn't feel as bland. Not that I've actually put some unwanted spice in the food, no no. The… others would just tease me again about using me as backup food…"

Hearing Swirlix's uncertain trailing, I hesitate and face the pan, realizing those remarks might actually be more than teases. "Well… you were just kidding when you said that part about fried Snivy, right? If you were, then I'm absolutely positive the others were just messing around about that kind of stuff, too."

"Oh, yes, that. Don't worry, dear, that part was just something I needed to get out of my system. We don't _actually_ roast or fry your species… well, at least I don't. I do suppose I shouldn't also be worrying this much since I can rely on the Chief to keep things civil… but… being a Swirlix, hearing anything involving being eaten or something related to the food chain never fails to give me the chills."

Slowly, I maneuver my spatula so that it tips a Berry to another of its sides. "That… actually does sound scary, now that I think about it."

The continued uncertainty in Swirlix's tone as well as the lack of a chuckle heightens my attention to what she has to say. "You don't have to think too much about it, dear. You can't make a healthy juice blend without shaking it up a bit, after all. I'm at least thankful that to have skills that allow me to still be here today. Besides, should the time comes, I'll be ready to fend myself. I have moves that aren't only for cooking, just so you know."

Hearing a chuckle at the end of Swirlix's sentence, I find myself with a faint smile of relief. "If there's anything you need help with, I can pitch in. I can get Indigo to help too, whether he likes it or not… maybe." I add with a giggle.

"I'd appreciate it, dear. Though, just know that at the end of it all, jokes or not, we're all friends here at the Society. Still, it helps to know I can have some closer friends to lean on, like you, Sammy, and some of the others…"

My attention is piqued by the possible topic shifter. "Sammy, huh? She's the one who works with Jirachi, right?"

"Right you are, dear. Normally she's upstairs tinkering with whatever Jirachi's working on, but on some occasions, she comes down here to spend some time with me."

"I wish I was that good at attracting friends…" I say jokingly. "Is she nice?"

"Even if she spends most of her day helping Jirachi with metals and stuff, she's still a cheerful little soul. She may look harsh because of her spikes and claws, but she still has a childish spirit about her," Swirlix responds with her trademark laugh. "You know, now that I think about it, dear, she's a lot like you. Like with how excited you get about Mega Donuts, except with Apples. That and she's about a portion older than you."

 _A lot like me, huh? I wonder why I haven't tried talking to her sooner…_

"Er… hello? I'm not interrupting something… am I?"

 _Wait a second, I know that voice!_

With an excited skip in my step, I quickly turn around and focus my gaze to the far end of the room to see Indigo right by the doorway.

"Indigo!" I call out, waving an arm. "Over here!"

I notice his expression perk up in realization as he starts pacing towards me, clutching the two bag straps hanging off one of his shoulders. As he circles his way around the table, I see that his other free paw is holding a glass of some sort.

"This is certainly a pleasant surprise!" Swirlix speaks up, her expression still as cheerful as usual. "What brings you here?"

He stops to a halt right in front of us with a sigh. "Whew… hi Fia, hi Swirlix… I just… decided to check up on how things are going…"

My eyes move to the object of attention in his right paw. "What's with the drink?"

"Oh, this?" His expression slowly perks up as he sets the glass onto the table. "Well… Fia… after I restocked on items, I decided to go get some drinks as usual… So I thought that since you're not allowed to leave and all that, I might as well bring you a drink…" He motions to the glass with a paw. "I paid Kangaskhan so I could take the glass with me and everything."

My expression melts into a more thankful smile. "Thanks. You know, I really appreciate that."

He smiles back. "It's my pleasure, really…" He chuckles. "So, I… take it you're enjoying yourself here?"

I nod eagerly. "It's nearly as bad as I thought, thank Arceus for that." _Though the stove can go jump off a cliff for all I care._ "What about you? Didn't you have some stuff on your mind you wanted to learn more about or something like that?"

"I'll be getting to that in a second… I just needed to get this drink stuff done with, which I am already…" He hesitates to clear his throat. "I'll be taking my leave now, so see ya."

"See ya!" I wave back at him as he turns to walk away, only stopping when his absence is accompanied by the sound of the door shutting behind him.

Swirlix is the first to break the silence. "What a thoughtful little dear. And yet you said you wished you were good at attracting friends."

I join in during the faint laughter that follows. "It's not like I don't appreciate what he's done for me or anything. He'll always be one of the most special friends I've made!"

 _He's definitely special, one way or another._ I think to myself with a giggle.

"Considering what the Chief said happened yesterday, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that the two of you are special in some way," Swirlix adds. "Especially on what you did, dear. I'm still wondering why exactly you switched Wailord. I'm sure the forest would've been much safer, considering how uneventful my side of the expedition was, so why did you still jump out of the frying pan and into the fire?"

I hesitate. _At this point, I'm really having trouble keeping track of these expressions…_

"I just wanted to," I shrug, following it with a scoff. "What, do you think I'm scared of some volcano?"

Swirlix looks at me with a humorous stare, chuckling. "Well, dear, you _were_ afraid of some stove fire, so there has to be some other reason."

With an embarrassed stare, I glance back at the stove behind me as its heat continues nipping at the Oran Berries.

Reminded of the food's existence, I quickly turn back and ready my spatula, hiding my flustered look. "I'd… rather not talk about it."

"Hmm… well, I understand. I don't want to end up juicing it out of you, dear. Though… there are some other things about Fire Island Volcano I want to know more about if you don't mind. I hope you understand, considering nothing really happened at Primeval Forest and all."

I instinctively glance down at my scarf as I realize what 'other things' Swirlix means. "Well, alright, I could do with some more nice talk."

"So do I, dear," I hear Swirlix add with a chuckle. "Now, where to begin, where to begin…"

 **Indigo's POV**

 _It's… been a while since I've decided to come here…_

Ever since yesterday, the events of Fire Island Volcano remained lingering in my head. With all this free time now on my paws, I thought I might do some digging myself. I could ask Mawile about some things since she's the researcher of the Society or Jirachi because he handled my scarf, but I still remember that they'd probably be busy now.

If I recall correctly, Ampharos said that he would be doing his own questioning to those two. As much as I would like to go ask them my own questions now, I'd… rather not interrupt something. Even while Mawile and Jirachi are busy for the day, there's still one other smart Pokémon that came to my mind.

After making my way up to the second floor of the Headquarters, I find myself looking up at the picture of a first-aid kit on a door.

 _Okay, this should be his room… right?_

I hesitate, using the area's silence to recall the last time I've been here. Back then I wouldn't have been able to experience a quiet like this because of the Snivy stuck to my paw.

 _But I guess since that Snivy is now busy downstairs… I should get busy too…_

After taking a deep breath in an attempt to compose myself as much as I can, I bring my paw to the door and perform a single knock. The faint scent of what seems like medicine and Berries greets me when a large claw swings the door open. Even through the small spectacle frames over his small Clawitzer eyes, I see Ludwig's expression perk up as he looks down at me.

"Ah, Indigo, yes? Vhat brings you here, _kamerad?_ Vould you like a checkup?"

The surprising eagerness coupled with the reminder of the strong accent in his tone causes me to hesitate for a second. "Er… no, actually. I just came here to… erm… talk."

"Discussion and company, _ja?_ Vell, please do come in!" He hovers back into the room towards a desk of some sort, allowing me to pass through the doorway.

When I step inside, I'm given the opportunity to properly take in the surroundings of his room once more. With bookshelves, desks, and some straw beds around several spots of the room, it only took me now to realize the shape of the room's structure. Its shape bears quite the resemblance to the circular-esque room Fia and I share, only with more personal touches with the shelves, books, and the like. Judging from how all the "furniture" is arranged, Ludwig's room appears to be half a library and half an emergency room, with a desk and some shelves acting as the center divider between the bookshelves on the left and the shelves of jars and beds on the right.

Ludwig turns around once he reaches said desk, motioning to the western side of the room with his large claw. "Come, you may take a seat on one of zhe chairs here."

I look over to where the bookshelves stand to see a smaller-looking table with some chairs nearby, probably for reading on.

As I slowly prop myself up on top of one of the chairs, I glance at the table to see a select few of differently sized books already open, all of them barely within my reach. Shifting my attention back to who I came here for, I turn on the chair to see Ludwig giving me a look of anticipation as if waiting for my input.

"So…" I slowly begin. "... there are still some things about yesterday's exploration that I'm plenty curious about, so I thought I might as well talk to you since… well, you seem like my best bet at the moment, with your books and all."

From his own chair by another desk, Ludwig responds with an intrigued look and a nod. "Ah, yes, very vell, speculation talk. Even I couldn't resist thinking about such a phenomenon. So, I'm assuming you vant to talk about Fire Island Volcano, _ja?"_

I slowly nod, glancing at the bookshelves behind me. "You don't happen to have any books that can help with figuring out this stuff… right?"

"Depends on vhat you vant to know more about. I have books on Looplets, mythical locations, about Pokémon evolution…"

"Er…" I widen my eyes at the realization of just how much I have to deal with here.

 _Guess I was a bit too vague… so… where do I start?_

"Well… I guess the Beheeyem have been on my mind the longest, so… what do you know about them? Their… species, I mean."

"Ah, zhem… I've already done some looking in an encyclopedia. Funny you should mention zhem since their species isn't very common around zhe Water Continent. Zhen again, for zhe record, a lot of us have also come here from other continents." He pauses, his gaze trailing off for a second. " _However,_ I don't think speculating an origin for zhese three vould do much considering how obvious it is that zhese aren't any normal Beheeyem. Or any normal treasure thieves, for zhat matter."

My ears catch something very specific of about Ludwig's word choice. … _thieves? I… never really considered them calling them that… though, I guess it's something more specific than just 'some bad Pokémon that turn others to stone'…_

… _wait, doesn't that title raise even more questions? If they really are thieves, then why did they attack me the first time? There was nothing to take!_

 _You're thinking too much about this specific detail._ As if by instinct, I'm compelled to take a deep breath in an attempt to empty my head, which I do.

"So…" I finally break my thoughts with words. "... er, Ludwig… about the Looplet the Beheeyem tried to take… what's so special about it, anyway?"

The sides of the row of… whiskers on his face curl up to resemble a faint smile. "Ah, in vhat I've read, zhe Looplet Entei had is indeed not like any normal Looplet. Zhey are a special kind of Looplet zhat are only found in specific locations, often vorn by a Legendary Pokémon residing zhere."

I take a second to register the details. "Okay… so they look different and Legendary Pokémon wear them… That can't be the _only_ reasons the Beheeyem wanted to take them, right?"

"Zhese types of Looplets aren't just special because of their appearance. Zhese particular Looplets enhance certain abilities of the vearer, making zhem more powerful. Zhis could be vhy zhose Beheeyem wanted that Looplet."

… _Wait… a powerful Legendary Pokémon with a Looplet that makes them even more powerful? Sounds overkill…_

I briefly shudder, remembering what happened on the Air Continent. _Thank Arceus those flames didn't get us that time…_

"I'd recommend reading zhat book if zhere's anything more about Looplets you're still vondering about." I look over to see Ludwig waving towards the table with his small claw.

My eyes follow the direction of his gesture until I catch the word 'Looplet' on a book's side, sitting right between some larger books about items and Pokémon species. I pause for a second to take in its size.

 _That… doesn't look like something I'd be able to start and finish reading on a whim… Well, I guess I should expect something like that, assuming that this book is about the complete history of Looplets or something like that…_

"Zhere's no need to be shy," I shift my gaze away to see Ludwig giving me an insistent look. "I can see zhat look in your eye as you stared at zhat book. You may borrow it if you'd like."

I cautiously hold my paw over the book's cover. "So I can just… take it?"

He suddenly guffaws for a second, the sudden noise of laughter almost making me jump. "Of course! As much as I do value my collection, I'm still fond of sharing my knowledge!"

"Your… collection?" I find myself saying, glancing back at the formidably-standing bookshelf by the wall. "So all these books are…"

"Zhe bookshelves, too! Everyzhing you see zhere is a possession of mine!" He continues with an excited chuckle. "Impressive, _ja?"_

I take a glance back at the shelves of books behind me, then at the shelves of medical-looking jars and supplies on the other side of the room. "You… certainly own a lot of books for being a doctor… er, not that I know anything about a doctor's hobbies, of course…"

"Vell, for zhe record, I vasn't always a doctor…" I notice his gaze trail off for a second. "You see, _kamerad,_ as if zhe books didn't make it obvious, I'm quite zhe scavenger for information. So, other zhan reading, I decided to take my learning to a more… practical level."

I find myself slowly raising an eyebrow at his faint shift in tone. _What… was with that pause?_

"So… currently you're a doctor… who's trying to learn more about being a doctor?"

" _Ja!"_ He proclaims, sounding unusually proud.

My baffled look only escalates as my mouth is left slightly agape.

 _And… yet… the Chief trusts him to be the one in charge if anything happens to us…_

"I can see zhat look in your eye. You must be doubting my prowess," Ludwig chuckles, but his tone slowly dulls as he does so. He slowly hovers closer towards me, narrowing his eyes. "I assure you, I know what I'm doing. I wouldn't be here if I didn't. Would you like me to show you a display of my skill over on the right side of the room?"

At this point, Ludwig's inched towards me to the point where his widened eyes are all that's in my field of vision. I could attempt to tear my gaze, I felt myself freeze up at the possibility of the claws waiting by the sides of my head.

Instead, all I do is slowly gulp and muster my words. "I'm… good… no thanks…"

As soon as I finish my sentence, Ludwig practically zips back over his chair by the center desk, his tone immediately perking right back up as if his sudden change in attitude never happened.

He lets out a sheepish sounding breath, his expression changing to match. "Er… sorry about zhat. Zhere are times vhere my morbid curiosity gets zhe best of me…"

I try my best to hold back my look surprised. _W-What exactly were you morbidly curious about a few seconds ago?!_

"Vell, hopefully I haven't made you too uncomfortable. You are still free to talk if you vish."

"Uh…" My mind quickly recalls the book I was offered, which I immediately pull to my laptop. "I guess I can stay here and read… I can do that, right?"

Ludwig perks back up and nods eagerly. " _Ja, ja!_ It's not often zhose who borrow my books stick around. I may be pushy at times with my curiosity or my tendency to give nicknames, but I assure you, I can be good company!"

 _He gives… nicknames? O… kay then…_

I hesitate for a second, trying to think of a way to continue this conversation. _I did come here to ask about stuff, so I might as well ask while I can…_ "So this book… does it happen to have anything to say about our scarves? Anything like that?"

His expression droops slightly. "I'm afraid not. After all, zhat book is all about Looplets. While scarves and other accessories do exist, zhey don't do anything massive like evolution or anyzhing. I can guarantee zhat you can check all the books I have on evolution and you'd still find nothing related to what happened to you and your Snivy friend." He pauses for a second before his expression lights up. "On zhe other hand, since ve are some of zhe first to witness such a phenomenon occur, vith some more research on zhe matter, ve could make our _own_ book about it! Brilliant, _ja?"_ He awaits my response with an eager-looking stare.

I hesitate. "Well… I think we should get to the bottom of this Dark Matter stuff first…"

His look changes to one of understanding. "Very vell… zhere's still much we don't know, and zhis information is quite vital." His expression goes back to being neutral. "Unfortunately, all zhe books I have don't touch on zhese matters. Zhis Dark Matter is something related to historical events, _ja?_ I'd say your best bet is talking to Mawile. She'd have more notes about zhese kinds of things."

I put a paw to my chin and slowly tilt my gaze downwards. "I… guess you're right… I should get to talking to her next chance I get…"

"Ah, I suppose I shouldn't be rambling too much, _ja?_ I'll let you get to your book. In zhe meantime, I hope you don't mind zhe smell of medicine."

And with that, I direct my attention down to the book in my paws.

I guess Ludwig is right when he says that I'd be better off talking to Mawile, but with Ampharos probably talking with her, I don't really have much better to do.

For all I know, maybe I can still find some things out, one way other another. At least I've learned some things, be it through spoken words or realizations.

 _I did learn about what made Entei's Looplet so special… how rare the evolution fiasco really is… and I guess it doesn't hurt that I learned more about Ludwig as an individual…_

… _I'm not forgetting anything, am I? Or… am I just thinking too much into this again?_


	23. 23: Heirloom Curios

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 23 - Heirloom Curios**

 **The next morning, Serene Village, Carracosta's POV**

There's nothing quite like leaving the house to be greeted by the morning breeze. As I slowly walk down the steps past my door, I take a second to breathe in the fresh smell of the natural air. Once I let the air leave my lungs, the realization of being in a complete state of quiet tranquility dawns on me.

 _Such quiet serenity…_

Yet, the reason for this silence dawns on me as well, halting my peaceful breathing with a heavy sigh. I slowly gaze downwards at the large basket being cradled in my arms, a pit of emptiness forming in my chest to match the basket's contents.

 _That was so long ago… but I still remember it as if it were yesterday…_

I slowly shake my head, but as I do so, I notice something out of the corner of my eye. Right beside my door sits my quaint little mailbox, its flag raised upwards. I reach an arm to the side and pull out the single letter sitting inside, a wrinkle of a smile creeping across my face. My eyes scan across the back of the envelope, primarily focused on the Lively Town sender address.

"Good morning, Mr. Carracosta!"

A sudden chorus of voices reach my ears, causing the letter to escape from my trembling flipper. Fortunately, in my brief moment of panic, I look down into my basket to see letter sitting there. Lifting my gaze, I see several smaller figures looking up at me.

I hurriedly compose myself by clearing my throat before looking down at the young faces awaiting a reply. "Good morning to you too, children. That green fur looks good on you, Deerling. What brings you all here?"

"We saw Pelipper pass by the skies again," Deerling replies. "We thought he landed by here a while ago."

"Too bad he always flies away before any of us can get to him…" Pancham grumbles from the back of the group. "Why can't he just stick around for a bit like that Chespin who crash landed here?"

As he says this, I narrow my eyes to see Pancham's expression shift to a familiar mischief. He looks down to his left to be met with a snarky stare back from Shelmet.

"I already know what you're thinking about," Espurr speaks up, turning back to face them. As I shift my attention to her, I notice some bluish glow leave her eyes. "Pancham, you're overestimating your throwing strength. Shelmet, you're overestimating how well your shell can take a fall like that."

"Espurr, you… you… you overestimate _us!"_ Shelmet retaliates.

I let out a quiet hum of perplexion. _I don't recall the word being used like that… then again, judging how those two are snickering to themselves, I must be left out about this stuff…_

I hear Deerling sigh before she looks up at me. "Please don't mind them, we're usually better than this… smarter too. Anyways, Mr. Carracosta, did Pelipper happen to land by here?"

"Hmm… I haven't seen a Pelipper come by, but if he was the one who delivered _this,"_ I pull the letter out of my basket. "then I suppose he must've landed by here this morning."

All their faces start glowing with wonder.

Seeing that childlike amusement in their eyes makes my smile return. I continue. "This is the second letter I've received recently. If both of the letters sent to me from Lively Town are anything to go by, I'd say that this letter is from Fia too."

I notice a glint of interest in their eyes, as if a specific trigger word caught their attention.

"Thank you, Mr. Carracosta," Deerling says with a slow nod. She then turns to face everyone else behind her, a cheeriness perking up in her voice. "That settles it, everyone! It's about time we start writing _our_ letters too!"

The five of them start striding off down the pathway to the plaza, their voices still audible.

"We'll start by asking Principal Simipour for the necessary supplies!"

"W-Wait! I don't even know if I can write properly! M… Maybe I'm better off asking my parents for help first!"

"Wait a sec, Deerling, how are we even supposed to send these?"

"Shelmet has a point. I don't think we even have a way of getting these letters there."

"Maybe I can throw them-"

"I'll think of something, you guys! If Mr. Carracosta can do it, then so can we! We'll… just have to ask the principal about this stuff too!"

I hear a chuckle escape my throat once they're out of earshot.

 _It's been a while since I've witnessed the liveliness of youth…_

The feeling of bittersweet nostalgia washes over me for a second, but I manage to expel that longing when I'm reminded of the letter held in my flipper.

I muster a smile. _That reminds me, I have to write a letter back after I read this…_

I set my basket down onto the grass and hold the letter in front of my eyes. As I do so, I notice the small red flag of a mailbox a short distance away, pointed skywards. Narrowing my eyes, I focus my attention on the house next door, its mailbox still untouched.

 _He still hasn't come back…_

I shake my head. _I've been dawdling enough for one morning. Waking up late again was already a bit much… I'll have to make up for my lost time by doing extra work in the fields._

 **Cafe Connection, Indigo's POV**

" _Looplets and Emeras have been spotted in mystery dungeons at around the same period, leading their first witnesses to think that they were linked somehow. Once researchers got their hands on them, the suspicion of their correlation was proven true. Both of these mysterious forms of antiques seem to have spontaneously formed into existence, influenced by some mysterious energy of some sort."_

" _Said energy manifests differently among each Looplet and Emera, leading to the many different Emeras and the few special Looplets scattered across the world. While they don't seem to have any harming effects, the energy that created Looplets and Emeras is still a mystery in itself due to its precise composition and origin still unknown and uninvestigated to this day."_

 _This… this really is interesting stu-_

"Hey Indigo! Indigo!"

Immediately after that cry reaches my ears, the open book in my paws is pulled by its spine in such a way that slams it down onto the table. The heavy sound that follows adds to the stunned look on my face that follows. The stunned look that is met with the pouting stare of the Snivy across me.

"You haven't even touched your drink! Your eyes have been glued to that book ever since we sat here!" Fia protests, pressing my book against the table with her hands.

I take a second to blink, suddenly becoming aware of my presence on a stool, glass of juice beside me and all.

"Er… well, it _is_ an interesting book… I don't see what's so bad about reading."

"Do I have to remind you that you almost dozed off several times during our exploration today?" Her glare remains unfazed. "You almost left me on my own to get swarmed by that Monster House!"

… _oh._

"Don't think you can hide anything from me!" she continues. "I know you stayed up to read last night!"

"Well…" I pause to clear my throat. "... even if I did get carried away, I just thought I'd try reading for once… You can understand me trying out a slightly different change of pace, right?"

For a second, other than the sounds of other bustling customers in the cafe area, there's nothing but silence on Fia's end. She just faces me with a briefly stunned expression.

I raise an eyebrow. _Did I… catch her off guard?_

The conversation picks back up once Fia musters her words. "Well… on the contrary, it's not like you left me with anything to do last night."

I take a second to blink. "You were sound asleep."

Silence comes back once more, this time from both sides of the table. The evident air of hesitation from the two of us gives my mind a brief moment to piece together a realization.

 _Wait a second…_

My eyes widen. "You were watching me read-"

" _You were watching me sleep! Again!"_ Fia's accusatory voice quickly overpowers mine.

The sudden implication of Fia's statement leaves me with another brief moment of hesitation. "W-Wait! B-But I was just reading!"

It doesn't help when my mind registers that the two of us have just yelled accusations in a _public area._ I don't even need to look around to feel all the eyes drilling judgemental holes into us.

All I get is a stare of mischievous triumph on Fia's end. _What did you pull us into?!_

As tempting as the action of hiding my face behind anything in my reach is, my mind skips those instincts to allow me to speak.

I lean forward and speak in a hushed whisper. "You know… Fia, maybe we should head back to the Society…"

She raises an eyebrow, apparently still oblivious to the awkward air around us. "What for?"

"Well…" My eyes make their way to the book still pressed onto the table, pages-first. "... I could go return that book to Ludwig…"

 _And I might as well get to talking to Mawile, while I'm at it…_

"Okay, okay, but you have to finish your drink first," Fia says, adding a giggle indicating well intent as she leans back onto her seat. "I went through the trouble to order it for you, after all!"

Again, I'm reminded of the glass to my right, the juice inside bearing a glistening hue of green that looks… inviting?

A hesitation-induced gulp forms in my throat, but I save it for when I grab the glass and take a quick but hefty sip of of the juice. The fluid goes down my throat as any juice would, but the 'refreshment' factor doesn't come the way I expect it to. Rather than experiencing a mildly cool sensation coursing through my body, all I feel in its place is a shiver induced by a bitter taste. It gets worse when the shuddering transfers to my inner workings, as if the swallowed drink is grasping at parts that aren't there.

Eventually, I manage to down almost every drop in the glass, but before I could swallow, my throat reaches its limit and forces a portion of my gulp back out in the form of a spray, leaving me panting in shock.

"What… is this?!" What voice I muster is spoken in an exasperated tone.

Fia stares back at me with a look that grows puzzled. "It's a Grass Gummi drink… I think." Her gaze trails off. "Now that I think about it… maybe it's the type of beverage only Grass types drink…" She looks back at me with a sheepish smile and shrugs. "Oops. Maybe I shouldn't have ordered for you while you were busy reading."

I sigh. _Let's just… get back to the Society Headquarters already…_

 **Expedition Society Headquarters, Fia's POV**

"You know, I find it a shame that we didn't get to talk some more in that cafe."

Indigo gives me a curious stare. "And… why do you think that?"

I smile at him. "Well, whatever went on back at the cafe, you have to admit that we both surprised ourselves there. And you should know how much I like that kinda stuff."

"So… you're saying… that we should get to know each other better?" Indigo raises an eyebrow. "Well… the briefing room is empty right now… probably because most of the others are still out and about… but this book is heavy in my bag…"

I purse my lip. _On second thought, the way Indigo worded my suggestion sounded like-_

"Actually, speaking of getting to know others better… I'm planning to go talk to Mawile about some things…" Indigo speaks up. "Might run into Ampharos on the way… which I suppose isn't bad…"

Just hearing that name is enough to make me frown. "Oh, him… well, since you're going to leave me with this much free time, then I'll go talk to Sammy. I heard she's nice. She should be on the third floor with Jirachi."

"Hmm… you know… I just got an idea…" I turn to Indigo to see him with his gaze trailing off, a thoughtful look on his face. He adjusts his bag's strap to keep it from slipping off his shoulder. "Think of it as a… um… another trust exercise."

"Alright…" A faint smirk comes onto my face. "... what do you want me to do?"

He takes a second to take his book out of his bag, the leaf-covered flap rustling as he does so. "Well… I want you to take this book back to Ludwig…"

I raise an eyebrow. "That's it? Alright, I'll do it." I accept the book from his paw with a vine, but as I pull it closer to myself, its weight causes me to lean back. I'm forced to end up carrying the book with the additional help of my other vine and both arms.

I let out an effortful huff as I press the book to my chest, barely managing to keep myself from stumbling forward. _Indigo makes this look so easy…_

"Actually… there's one more thing I want you to do," he suddenly adds. "I want you to go talk to Mawile for me."

 _Wait, but wouldn't that mean-_ The realization almost makes me fall back, leaving me to stagger. "No! You _cannot_ make me talk to Ampharos!"

"Well… what do you have against him? I didn't catch him getting on your nerves when he sent us off to do a Connection Orb mission this morning."

I lean forward and let the book fall onto the floor, letting its thudding sound emphasize my pouting frown. "Do I have to remind you about what happened the day after Fire Island Volcano?"

"You… were sent to the kitchen and became 'close pals' with Swirlix, right?" Indigo raises an eyebrow. "That's how you worded it when you excitedly told me about your day last night. Wait… oh, I guess you also learned how to cook a bit, too… Aren't those good things?"

 _Well, when he says it like that,_ _ **of course**_ _it sounds good…_

All I do is let out a disgruntled huff. "I-I still don't see any reason why I should go."

"Well… if what I said before wasn't convincing enough, then you can patch up whatever you have against him… that's something, right?"

My stare remains stiff.

He sighs. "O-Okay, you know what, fine. How about… if your talk with Ampharos and Mawile ends up going sour, then I'll… buy you a pack of Mega Donuts."

His offer shifts my expression as a series of longing thoughts start to stir in my head.

My eyes light up with wonder. "A whole pack… just for me?"

His gaze trails off as he rubs his arm, but he still responds. "Y-Yes…"

"Then it's a deal!" With a welcoming grin, I hold my hand out and wait for Indigo to take it. His shaking paw slowly clasps around my grip, leaving me to do most of the shaking.

A sense of newfound resolve comes over me once I withdraw my hand. It leaves me with enough motivation to muster heaving the book back to my chest with my arms and vines.

 _Mega Donuts, here I come!_ Even with the heavy object in my hold, I start getting giddy at the thought of getting a bunch of treats all for me, all without having to give up anything whatsoever-

The thought suddenly crosses my mind. _Didn't Indigo word this like a bet?_

As my expression fades, I slowly wobble to face him. "Wait, so what do I have to give you just in case I _do_ enjoy this?"

He shrugs, giving me a puzzled look. "Well… just you patching up whatever you have with Ampharos is enough fulfillment for me. I'd rather have that over anything you can buy… er… no offense."

A warm smile finds itself onto my face. _Even now… he's still as selfless as ever. Hmm… maybe I should still surprise him with something nice._

 _I wonder if he realizes what day is coming up…_

Staggering, I hop my way over to him and manage to land a soft punch to his arm.

I put on my most excited grin. "Well, what are we waiting for? You can go talk to Jirachi and Sammy about whatever's on your mind and I'll do the same with Ampharos and Mawile! Let's go!"

He looks back at me with that faint smile on his face. "I guess we better get going. See you at dinner?"

I nod.

The two of us start slowly making our way forward until I come across my first stair-shaped hurdle.

"Do you… uh… want some help with that?"

"Well…" I turn to see his look of genuine-looking concern and ponder over my answer for a second. My face flashes him an earnest smile. "... alright."

 **Indigo's POV**

 _Of course I had to say a pack of Mega Donuts… one Donut on its own is already too expensive to begin with!_

 _You might as well say goodbye to your Poké._

After reaching the second floor and parting ways with Fia, I'm left to sigh to myself in the silence I'm given. As I do so, I'm given a view of the giant holographic globe still sitting in the area's center, leaving me with a reminder of my destination.

 _Anyways… at least I can still talk to Jirachi and Sammy about what they know about my scarf…_

As I continue walking forward, I look up to see another staircase encased in a hallway leading to a pair of doors.

I raise an eyebrow at the unfamiliar sight. _Now that I think about it… I've never actually been to the third floor, have I? Unexplored territory… with unexplored people…_

Step after step, the nervous lump forming in my throat continues growing until the looming wood of the door stands right in front of my snout.

One knock later, the pair of doors slowly swing open, as if revealing something grandiose within. While the area beyond resembles the open space of the centers of the other two floors, the majority of its scope is furnished as if it's an actual room, giving my eyes more details to register.

As if the shelves of books and medicine in Ludwig's room wasn't enough of a sight of variety, the shelves and desks lined up at the back of the room here are organized in such a way that looks more 'workplace' than anywhere else in the Society. Several rows of shelves hang on the wall on both sides of the room with two desks closing off the space between them in such a way that almost makes their placement look mirrored.

The mirroring stops there when I take the contents into account. The sheer transition of variety reminds me that this room is inhabited by two Pokémon who are probably very different in their thinking processes. I could be wrong, but judging from the organized gizmos big and small accompanying blueprints on the room's left while more amateurly-made looking items placed with seemingly no pattern on the right, I'm already convinced who made what.

 _Is that… the faint scent of Apple?_

"Indigo, what brings you here? You've been, uh, staring at nothing for a while now."

"Should I poke his eye?"

The sudden sight of a the tips of claws entering my vision quickly snaps my instincts back into place, allowing me to step back.

"W-Wait! No!" I quickly hold my paws forward. "I just wanna talk! Why… why would you poke my eye with those, anyway?"

I look at Sammy to see her look growing sheepish.

"I don't know… Research?"

"Nah," Jirachi shakes his head with a flat frown. "That kind of anatomical research is Ludwig's job… I mean… hobby. So, Indigo, you still didn't answer my question. What brings you here?"

I hesitate at the realization of the speaking spotlight being handed to me. "Well, there's been something on my mind…"

"Oh, so you're here for one of _those_ visits," Jirachi replies, levitating over to me with an intrigued look. "How timely, because there's been something on my own mind, and it involves you. But before anything else, how about the two of us show you around our _humble_ chamber first?"

Sammy excitedly nods along with Jirachi's suggestion.

 _Er… I don't really see why not… I'd definitely want to know more about everything else in here…_

Hesitating at first, I accept, leaving me to be led away as if on a tour of some sort.

* * *

At first, my mind started dwelling on something odd I noticed about Jirachi's offer. Particularly because of how he described this room with the word 'humble' despite how much of an impression it left on me. It was only when I noticed Jirachi's diagram-filled chalkboard with the words 'I'm a genius' did I catch on.

"And _this_ collection is my current ambitious project!" Jirachi sweeps his arm to gesture to a shelf with several differently coloured badges lined up on it. "As long as you wear one of these badges, your type will change to the one imbued in it! Genius, isn't it?"

With a bold smile on his face, he swoops over to the shelf and comes back to me wearing a hazy purple badge next to his golden Expedition Society badge. "Punch me!"

I pause, my mind still in the process of taking in what Jirachi just said. "Uh… wha-"

" _Just do it!"_

The sudden emphasis forces my instincts to overwhelm my reluctance and thrust straight ahead, only for my paw to phase through JIrachi's stomach like air, failing to meet a solid target.

 _W-Wait, what?!_

I quickly pull my paw back and hurriedly check to see if it's still whole.

Meanwhile, Jirachi laughs to himself as he puts the purple badge back onto its place on the shelf. "Did you like that? Once I make badges for all the other types and polish these prototypes, these'll a bargain with the Kecleon Shops!"

My attention is caught. "You… sell this stuff?"

His grin turns proud. "Correct! How do you suppose the Society gets its income? Though, these badges aren't to be put out to public _just_ yet. Until then, we make do with our modified Wands."

I glance over to the room's right to have my attention caught by a shelf of Wands, all of them looking different in some way. I catch some Orbs and Apples in the mix as well, one of those in Sammy's claws.

"Do you… sell those items too?"

"Most of the items there are a work in progress by yours truly. Right now I'm trying to get the hang of modifying Escape Orbs. The Apple that Sammy's eating is a completely regular one. However, all the other ones are her proudest works. It may look like an Apple on the outside, but everything else down to its core is pure explosive Blast Seed formula of the most volatile kind. Makes excellent feral bait since it's made to look and smell like the ripest of Apples no matter what."

 _Explosive Apples? Why… haven't I seen any of those at the Kecleon Shops?_

"Are you… uh… going to sell those, too?"

Jirachi hesitates, a thoughtful frown forming on his face. "That question is still debatable." I hear him faintly snicker. "Even if I'm certain that they'd all fetch a pretty bag of Poké each, I'd like to have more experimentation time blowing up unaware ferals beforehand. It also helps to have as much of a bait surplus as possible to help me gather resources for my type badge collection. In fact, I could be making more progress now if it weren't for Entei's Looplet being busy in my resource scanner. If only I decided to put it in there on some other day than today."

 _He has Entei's Looplet?_

"I… think I remember hearing about your resource scanner somewhere before…" I say.

Jirachi's eyes light up. "Say no more!" He levitates a something over from a desk of his, presenting it to me. "I proudly present to your purple-named presence the prized paraphernalia procured by yours truly!"

I widen my eyes in slight amazement. _How… how did he do that all in one go?_

My eyes look over the cylindrical container-like object in Jirachi's levitation, somewhat resembling an incubator. Within the transparent bluish glass-like surface of the object hovers Entei's Looplet.

"I bet you're wondering what's so special about this little thing." He starts levitating it around in such a way that makes it look like a trophy. "This here is my resource scanner, the very thing that allows me to make what I make. Gets a whole lotta data of what a thing's made of and sends the ingredients list to my Expedition Gadget." He clears his throat. "I'd hate to leave anything out about this handy invention of mine, so any questions?"

I hesitate, trying to muster something to say. "Er…" An idea suddenly comes to me. "... didn't you put my scarf in there?"

"Everything I acquire is put in there! Might as well get to the bottom of what I can!" He proudly declares. "I use it to find out what's in my minerals, my fabrics, my creations, my…" He suddenly breaks into a series of coughs, making me raise an eyebrow. "Ahem… I mean yes."

 _Wait… so… does that mean…_

"Heh, I've been wondering when you'd bring that up!" Jirachi's proud smile suddenly shifts to a look of realization akin to my own, except looking more excited. Then, as if to add to the moment, his attention is caught by some sort of electronic chime coming from his desk. I watch on with intrigue as he circles over to the bag on his desk, coming back with an Expedition Gadget in his hands and his eyes glued to its screen.

His scanning eyes start lingering as if he's discovered something. "Aha, just in the nick of time! This is certainly a pleasant discovery!"

"Did I hear discovery?!" Sammy quickly beelines away from her corner and to Jirachi's side, doubling the amount of eyes staring at the device.

My mind starts debating on whether I should speak or leave them be in their moment of supposed 'discovery'.

"So… what did you two find out?"

They both look up from the monitor, Jirachi's smirk of triumph now visible. "With the information we have, I can conclude that the added effects that make Entei's Looplet different from a regular one are present. Not really anything completely mindblowing, but there's a certain similarity I've noticed!" His eyes dart back to the screen for a second as if to double check. "Both your scarf and Entei's Looplet bear a property than enhances the abilities of the wearer! Well, one definitely enhances more than the other, but it's a start!"

I hesitantly raise an eyebrow. "That's… it?"

"Of course not!" Jirachi's tone of triumph remains unwavering as he gets back to swiping at something on his screen. "You never know, one small realization can lead to a series of more significant ones! Branch out your thinking a bit, you know? Now to do some more searching…"

A stunned look forms on my face at Jirachi's growing exhilaration. _Okay… I get the whole branching ideas bit… but I don't see myself getting_ _ **that**_ _excited over something small like that…_

My attention is then caught by a noticeable shift in Sammy's expression, as if catching onto my thoughts. She slightly narrows her eyes at me as if to smirk in such a way that betrayed her previous expression.

"Jirachi's right about the whole thinking bit. Then again, it's not like I should know what he's talking about since I don't understand a single word that's on his Expedition Gadget. I'm just keeping this up since it helps to keep the enthusiasm around."

 _She… what?_

"Hush now, Sammy. You sound like you're undermining yourself," Jirachi says, his eyes still engrossed on the scrolling contents of his Gadget. "You see, Indigo, in order to be as concise as possible when scanning, I made it so that the scanner would send the data back to me in ancient Pokémon speak. As you can see, this also makes it so that this data takes quite a while to read through."

I raise an eyebrow. "Ancient Pokémon speak?"

"It's self explanatory. Ancient dialect that's died out to the point where only mythical Pokémon like me know about it." Jirachu's stare turns blank. "There's the chance you might come across some other non-mythical Pokémon that know it, but don't count on it."

Jirachi flips his Expedition Gadget over, allowing me to take a look at its screen. All I manage to register are a series of incoherent symbols that I'd expect to see carved as ruin inscriptions. Yet, here they are, displayed before me on a familiar device in an unfamiliar way.

 _I can barely grasp a pattern here… odd…_

It wasn't only the undecipherable text that I found odd, however. Something else regarding its introduction caught my attention.

"So… Jirachi… I couldn't help but notice that you didn't seem very lively after I brought up the ancient Pokémon speak…" I say.

Jirachi raises an eyebrow at me and scoffs. "Hmm, so you've noticed. What of it? Do you expect me to have some sort of mysterious and tragic backstory regarding that?"

I pause a bit at his choice of words. "... yes?"

"Heh, wrong answer." His smug tone returns. "I'll just leave it at mysterious. The latter part is Sammy's."

As if to back up his point, Sammy looks my way, her carefree stare returning, and gives me a little wave. "I'm an orphan."

Jirachi's eyes go back to focusing on his Expedition Gadget as he swipes across its screen, Sammy watching on with intrigue. "As much as I'd rather not disclose much that happened prior my enrollment here, I don't blame you for wanting to press on." He pauses to continue scrolling across the text on his screen, as if using the following silence to emphasize his point. "But if you're looking to pass time, then I'm sure my spiky assistant would be glad to help."

Sammy turns to give me another innocent-looking wave. "That's me. Jirachi's one and only assistant!"

 _She sounds rather proud of that title…_ "Must be… quite the privilege getting to be the assistant of a Pokémon like Jirachi…"

I catch of a glimpse of Jirachi's entertained expression as I say that, but he quickly shifts his focus back to looking skimming through the text on his Gadget.

"I'm just happy I get to help out! It just feels good!" She proclaims, a grin on her face. "Plus, it's about time I found my calling! Turns out I'm pretty good at helping out around here! I've even managed to make stuff all on my own!"

"You have to admit that's impressive," Jirachi comments. "Sammy here's helped me with the Connection Orb program, modified items, and of course, the exploding Apples. And to think she pranced in here just a few months ago…"

I slowly raise an eyebrow. "A… few months ago? So… wait, Sammy, were you the newest Expedition Society member before Fia and I were?"

Sammy shakes her head. "Close, but Mac and Flaps were the two newest members before you. They came here not long after I did… which makes me wonder where they came from…" She giggles. "You should see what's in their room. There _is_ a reason Mac comes by with most of our mail."

Jirachi chimes in with a snicker. "Bonus points for leaving it a surprise."

Sammy returns the chuckle, turning back to face me as she does so. "Don't get us wrong, Indigo. We're all doing this in good fun. I'll admit, we're all weird in our own ways, and that's fine. That makes things all the more fun! So… uh… Indigo, do you do anything else other than just stand there quietly as if relying on us to talk for you? I mean, I know you have a scarf that helps you evolve and stuff, but there _has_ to be more to you as a whole, right?"

I widen my eyes in a stunned gesture. _I… Am I that boring?_

"I'll… try to get to working on that, I guess…"

"Ahem, Sammy, in case you've forgotten, this is the same Riolu with a scarf capable of evolving him to a Lucario and back," Jirachi comments, giving her a look. "Remember? He even managed to defeat the three Beheeyem that Entei couldn't?"

A brief look of realization flashes on her face. "Oh. That. So what?" Her expression shifts to that of pride. "I helped kill a Spiritomb! With lava!"

My look of surprise only grows while Jirachi merely rolls his eyes.

 _Arceus… what are their standards?!_

"W-Well…" I muster the courage to speak up. "... I don't think I'll ever hop on the murder bandwagon… but I'd rather play things safe and see how that ends up for me… well, for the most part…"

"It helps to try out something new, maybe experiment, and see where _that_ leads you!" Sammy responds, a tone of excited wonder in her voice. "Staring at the same water by the shore is nice, but I like to cause a ripple or two to see where _that_ leads! Initiative is important! Sometimes the results are more surprising than you think!"

A faint smile forms on my face as I process her words. _No wonder Fia wanted to come here._

"Mhm, now _this_ is something!"

Our eyes turn to face Jirachi, a satisfied smile formed on his face.

"Did… you find anything else?" I ask, tilting my head slightly to match my now quizzical look.

"After comparing the properties of the Looplet and your scarf, I did some more looking into it and tried to find out _what_ causes these effects to kick in. Turns out a very important factor here is that the trigger is dependent on a certain other object like it!"

"A certain other object like it? So… Fia's scarf?" I say.

"Exactly! From what I've looked into, as long as certain conditions are met on both scarves, the evolution effect triggers." He glances back towards his screen. "And regarding these conditions… I can't determine the exact factors, but what I can say is that these scarves trace certain properties of the wearer… these being…" He squints his eyes towards the text. "DNA… location… and… emotion? Yeah, emotion. Basically, you need to be a specific species, be in a specific location, and experience a specific emotion all at the same time to get this stuff to trigger."

I pause feeling overwhelmed. "Is it… that specific?"

His stare grows narrower towards his Gadget, making his frown more evident. "On second glance… these three factors are all pretty vague and most likely generalized. I'm betting that you have to be _around_ a certain place rather than being in it, think of it like being in its area of effect. As for emotions… I'm seeing something about it being linked to the other scarf, so I'm thinking something about a bond of some sorts… I'm not a psychologist, so I wouldn't know."

 _Wait… a bond? Well… Fia did say that scarf symbolized our friendship… but at this caliber?_

"And for DNA… hmm… for once, I'm feeling quite stumped. It could be that you have to be a specific species, but I feel like that'd be too easy…"

"Actually," Sammy raises her claw. "couldn't it also have something to do with heritage? Like how I have blue eyes because my dad was a Sylveon?"

The fleeting glint of realization in Jirachi's widening eyes can only be described like that of a shooting star. "That just might be it! A heritage of some sort! So, we know that the trigger area's range was at least around Fire Island Volcano and that you and Fia were most likely experiencing emotions of adrenaline or anything of the sort. With that in mind, Indigo. there's still the question of whatever heritage you may have… basically, your parents."

I freeze. This was one of the last questions I'd expect to be asked today of all days. "My… parents?"

Jirachi nods as he looks up from his screen, taking a straightforward tone. "Yes. Say Sammy was able to use this scarf. Now, at first glance, Sammy might seem like your usual Sandslash, but her bloodline says otherwise. It could be that this scarf traces Sandslash DNA, Sylveon DNA…"

The possibility strikes me. _Or human DNA…_

"... well, you get the picture." Jirachi pauses for a second before he raises his eyebrow. "But on the other hand, it could be that this scarf just traces Riolu DNA… but that would raise even more questions since you and Fia are undoubtedly not related… I need to do some more looking into this just to make sure."

 _Well… even if that scarf was looking for my humanity, that just makes things even more confusing considering Fia…_

Jirachi goes back to scrolling through the list of text while Sammy gives me a curious stare.

"Are _you_ an orphan too? Or do you have no idea who your parents are?" She tilts her head.

"The… uh… latter…"

 _I suppose that's all I can say without lying…_

Her eyes widen with triumph. "There was a part of me that just knew, you know. From the way you looked… or talked about it… I can't quite put my claw on it. I had a friend who was like that, you know."

I raise an eyebrow in intrigue. "You… do? Someone who also didn't know their parents?"

"I thought you met him already… you know, the Chingling?"

 _The… wait, him?!_

The opportunity presents itself before me. Someone in a similar situation as me… this could be the information breakthrough I need!

 _I… I have to go for it!_

I take a deep breath, mentally preparing myself to go all in. "Did that Chingling happen to be a former human?"

Her look turns puzzled, the gesture already giving me a bad sign.

"No… I was just about to get to the point where it turns out he was actually an orphan too. Why would you bring that-" Sammy's eyes widen. "No way…"

The urge to cower starts eating at me. _This is bad…_

 _Of all the times for you to blow it…_

I know that Fia took my identity as something like an achievement of some sort, but judging from the abundance of not-humans I've stumbled into ever since, I was probably just lucky. My situation is definitely something out of the ordinary, but my senses are still betting that I should play this safe _just_ in case.

 _So much for that…_

And yet, the answer to Sammy's spike in intrigue comes to me as a surprise.

"Now, this is normally the part where I make an assumption that's completely unrelated and off track, but I'm smarter than that!" She beams. "Jirachi, you heard that, right?"

"Mhm," He doesn't shift his gaze, with his voice sounding completely unfazed to match. "as clear as crystal. So another one got hauled in, huh?"

 _A…. Another one?!_ My confusion turns to intrigue. "Wha… what does he mean?"

"You heard me. Another one. Though it's not like the other guy bit the dust or any of the sort, at least to my knowledge. He's _her_ acquaintance, after all." Jirachi cocks his head to motion towards Sammy, who sheepishly scratches at her head with the tip of her claws.

"I'm pretty sure we're friends. I only said it like that to make myself sound smarter." She breathes out a faint giggle to match her tone. "You see, Indigo, I do know someone who used to be a human. Just not the Chingling."

The mixed feelings of relief rising within me allow me to catch my breath. "So… if not him… then…?"

"The Shinx, so I've heard," Jirachi says. "Sammy told me he just popped in here out of nowhere without any memories."

Sammy's tone grows gleeful. "He even helped saved the world and everything! He got married too! And… and…" Her gaze trails off with her ramble. "... he did a lot of things in an unbelievably short time, actually…"

"Let me get this straight," Jirachi's eyes shift towards me. "you're basically assuming that you're in a similar position as this Shinx. I take it you want to get back in contact with him?"

"Well… I suppose so…" I let my stare shift. "I'll need all the answers I can get so I can understand why I'm here in the first place." My voice is followed by a brief moment of silence, allowing my mind to fully register something. "Wait, Sammy… did you just say he saved the world?!"

Sammy tilts her head. "I said he helped. He didn't do it alone. But I can understand why you or some other Pokémon would think that since the incident wasn't really very known…"

"I'm not surprised…" Jirachi comments, pausing to… yawn? "Most of the other exploration teams higher up on the reputation hierarchy deal with the bigger sudden threats. Sometimes they're dealt with so quickly that the fire is extinguished before it becomes a known problem. Unless the method of dealing with the threat is quite niche."

"If you ask me, you don't really seem like the kind of 'heroic' Pokémon that Sparks is, so you probably don't have to worry about that stuff a whole lot," Sammy adds. "If you still wanna contact him, sending a letter to the Grass Continent's Treasure Town is a start. You can even do it from your Expedition Gadget."

I pause in a moment of slight surprise at Sammy's bluntless. _Not… heroic? Well… no punches pulled there, not that I mind…_

"Er… right…" I pull my bag in front of me. "I'll get to doing that…"

"Hold on one more second, I think I've dug something up!" Jirachi's tone perks up. "I'm certain I've looked at it from all possible angles this time! Turns out there's one more little bit that changes everything!"

"Ooh." Sammy starts clapping the tips of her claws together and murmurs something to me. "These exaggerated statements are usually the best part."

"Turns out there's more to the DNA factor of than I initially thought," Jirachi continues. "While all the other factors are reliant on _both_ scarves having their wearers meet certain requirements, this condition is only reliant on _one_ wearer triggering it, at least."

I take a second to piece his words together. "So… Fia might have more to do with getting these scarves to work?"

Jirachi pauses to discard his Expedition Gadget back to his desk. "It'd definitely make more sense than tracing whatever heritage you have… unless humans _do_ have some Pokémon-type evolution none of the myths covered… but maybe there's more to your family tree than I think, so that's still on the table. I'm just clarifying that Fia's roots are up there as well." He hesitates once more, staring off into the distance for a second. "That imagery was completely unintentional."

"O-O-Okay then…" I clear my throat. "Is… that all?"

A noticeable troubled frown comes onto his face. "That's how it is. What other information I managed to read over is a bit too vague for my liking. However, I gotta admire whoever wove these things."

 _Actually… now that he does bring that up, who did make these scarves?_ A secondary realization pops up in my head. _Did whoever make these leave them with Fia?_

"Since I've answered all I can for that inquiry, that leaves one more thing. I have something for _you_ to answer." Jirachi's eyes fixate on me with an intrigued intensity. "Primarily, your bag. I haven't seen anything like that before. I assume it's custom made?"

A brief memory flashes in my head, reminding me of something similar I was asked a long while ago. I look down to my paws to see them still holding my purple-leafed accessory.

 _Arceus… what was my thinking process during those few days? Shame the bag in question back then is now gone with the wind…_

"Well… it is," I answer, taking note of Jirachi's stare. "I made it, actually… with my… uh… Force Palms."

He raises an eyebrow, frowning. "You… _Force Palmed_ it? Are you saying that these leaves are present because you used your _Force Palm_ as a method of applying _adhesive?"_

I hesitantly nod, confused by his emphasis in tone. "That's… exactly what I did."

 _Why… do I feel so awkward talking about this now?_

His eyes widen slightly with a hint of disgust. "That… should not happen. At all."

Sammy butts in, still sounding intrigued. "Wait, so you actually stuck these leaves onto your bag?! With your paws?!"

"Er… yeah… that bag is proof that I can do that, apparently… and my first day here with Fia was caused by a mishap on my end involving that…"

"This is a much bigger deal than you're making it out to be, Indigo," Jirachi continues with a stern look on his face. "Force Palm should _not_ work like that. I could go on a full hour-long tangent about it on my chalkboard but you probably won't have any idea what I'd be talking about."

I glance down at my paws. "Are you saying… this kind of stuff isn't normal?"

"Of course it isn't normal!" Jirachi raises his voice, the sudden volume causing me to lift my bag up to cover my face. "Ask any other Force Palming Pokémon and they'd say the same thing! What was even going on in your head that gave you the idea that you were capable of this stuff, anyway?!"

I slowly lower my bag. "Er… I guess my instincts sorta gave me the impression that I could do it… so I did it."

"Hmm… another minor matter to look into, then," Jirachi narrows his eyes. "Looks like both you and Fia have your own separate mysteries… all starting with some accessories. I can't help but think they're related somehow… All this thinking has gotten me tired…"

He floats over to a straw bed by the left side of the room. "Sammy, wake me up when the Chief starts bugging me to make that badge tracker update or whatever…"

And with that, he plummets down in an uncharacteristically undignifying fashion, only to stop himself at the last second and remain levitating just above the straw, this time with his eyes shut.

"Is… he usually like this?" I whisper to Sammy.

She nods. "All this stuff is hard work, he says. He gets sleepy really easily from working himself down to the bone a lot of times. If I'm not busy playing the assistant, then we work in shifts!" She walks over to the shelves on the right side of the room and comes back with an Expedition Gadget of her own. "I'm going to get some data ready for the next Gadget update. Isn't there something you were going to do with your own?"

The reminder causes me to gaze down at the bag still in my paws. "I'll… get to that, thanks for reminding me."

 _Okay… he should still be in my list of Connection Orb acquaintances… here's to hoping this letter goes through…_

 **Fia's POV**

 _Time to get me some Mega Donuts!_

With that book returned, all I have weighing me down now is this bag of mine, but that doesn't matter! I have conversation to do!

 _Okay, this door should lead to her room. Either I'm right, or it turns out I can't read signs._

I reach for the doorknob with a vine and heave it open, using noticeable effort as if the door is blocked by something. The sound of papers rustling reveals the reason to me, but that doesn't prepare me for my peek inside.

As I step inside, the first thing I step on is some paper with some writing on it, but as I look around a bit more, I see the more of it all around the room. And I mean _all_ around.

I'd expect Mawile to have lots of wall shelves and other stuff to record her smart people notes, but I didn't expect to see them in this amount! A lot of them are piled up and organized on some of the wood planks on the walls, but _a lot of them_ are also scattered all around the floor! To the point where I can barely see the ground! That, or maybe the floor's too similar of a light brownish colour…

Even on the large table up ahead, I can still see notes scattered across it, some of them being read over by the tall figure-

 _You know what, maybe I'm illiterate after all._

"My, my, my, hello Fia!" Ampharos looks up from across the table greets me with a smile. "May I assist you with something?"

I take a step back and assume a flat tone. "I'm just looking for Mawile."

He nods. "Then it seems you've come to the right place. This is indeed her room. She just has some brief business to attend to elsewhere, so I am simply awaiting her return by reading so we can continue our meeting."

I raise an eyebrow as I catch another object on the table alongside the various notes. "Is that an Apple?"

"Ha ha, indeed it is!" A pleased look comes onto his face to match his smile. "Eating helps me focus, which definitely assists in discussing dark matters like these." He pauses. "My, my, my, I must say I'm certainly proud of that spontaneous wordplay. If I may ask, what is it you wish to discuss with Mawile? Perhaps I may know something of use."

 _What_ _ **do**_ _I actually wanna to talk about? Hmm…_

An idea reaches me. "Just wondering about all that stuff that's recently happened. You and Mawile were talking about the Dark Matter stuff, right?"

"That was certainly the case. Unfortunately, we didn't get much done other than detailed recaps of our respective treks several days ago. Both… seemingly not yielding much."

 _They were talking to Celebi, right?_ "What happened in Primeval Forest, again?"

"A short questioning session with Celebi took place within the forest's depths. However, while there was time to ask the main concerns with some small talk on the side, I've been told that everything was cut short because of some urgent matters Celebi had to deal with. The matters in question, nobody was told. I've mentioned all this before in a previous morning briefing, I do believe."

I purse my lip. "I must've not been listening back then."

He tilts his head as his expression shifts. "Oh dear… well, I suppose such an issue can't be helped." His expression perks up with a laugh. "I've been on the receiving end of that statement more than I'd like to admit. Try as I must, my voice still has its moments where it falters during early hours. Perhaps I should make it a regular practice to indulge in more teatime sessions with Jirachi, Mawile, and Ludwig."

 _That's not why I wasn't listening, though…_

Even still, he smile on his face perks up even more. "The opportunity for more pleasant pleasantries is quite welcome. Since we're both here awaiting Mawile's return, would you like to engage in a nice exchange to pass the time?"

I resist the urge to show my bitterness. _Skedaddling now would just make this unfair for Indigo, but I'd still just give up and get into a hissy fit anyway… so…_

"I can catch that hesitant look about you… oh dear," Ampharos' look droops again. "I should've noticed. For a while, you seemed to be giving off the impression that I've been rubbing you the wrong way. Recalling recent events, I can certainly understand why."

His softened change of tone makes me pause for a second. "Wait, you can?"

He slowly nods. "Surely your origins in Serene Village have left the tastes of certain authorities foul in your mouth. I must also keep in mind that you are quite younger than all of us Expedition Society members. I apologize and ask for some understanding on my end. As much as I value everyone's wants and needs here, I can get carried away with my authority at times."

There's something about his tone of humility that gets to me. Even with what's happened, I realize that I can't see Ampharos as the type of Pokémon who'd just lie for the sake of getting on someone's good side. I can't help but appreciate it whenever I hear genuine sincerity like that.

 _Maybe I was being too harsh on him…_

"If I was ever put in charge of something, I'm absolutely positive I'd get ahead of myself sooner or later. I can see where you're getting at." I add with a smile.

Ampharos' look livens. "I'm pleased to hear that you understand. I assure you that I can be as good as a friend as I am a leader. And if anyone here tells you otherwise, it's all in good fun, ha ha. Even with our varied origins, we're all our own big family here in the Expedition Society."

 _Varied origins?_ The idea of imagining where everyone in Society came from makes me smile. "Are you from the Water Continent too?"

His look grows amused. "While I've taken part in establishing the Expedition Society here, my humble beginnings have actually taken place all the way in the Grass Continent! Mawile's, too. My, my, my, I've known her ever since I was a Mareep and she was a… Mawile."

My curious nature starts talking. "You were childhood friends?"

"Why yes! The three of us were exploration enthusiasts all throughout my journey to be the Ampharos I am today!"

"Wait, three? I thought it was just you and Mawile."

Ampharos' look grows reminiscent. "Ah, I should mention that our hearty little trio consisted of me, Mawile, and her twin sister. Strangely enough, I had to refer to them both by the same name… but I like to think of my confusion as learning experiences. If I recall correctly, it was around my Flaaffy phase that I managed to tell the two apart, no accessories needed whatsoever!"

My gaze trails away for a brief moment of thought. "So where's Mawile's sister now?"

He lowers his head. "She must still be currently residing in the Grass Continent since she's now a part of her own exploration team, Team Frontier. Meanwhile, Mawile and I moved here to form the Expedition Society." His head lifts, a smile back on his face. "Of course, while I do wish she could still be here with us, Mawile and I still do appreciate meeting her in the first place." He pauses for a second, his tone growing serious. "Now that I bring this up… Fia, I do recall that you're in a similar position."

I catch the sympathy in his tone and wear a smile. "I'm holding up alright, don't worry. I still miss everyone back in Serene Village, especially my Pops, but I do write back to him often."

"Ah, I do suppose that explains the letters we send out from Lively Town almost everyday. Of course, I don't mean that as a bad thing. Mawile writes back to her sister often, and vice versa applies as well. Why do you suppose all these papers are present all around the room?"

"Wait…" In a brief moment of shock, I space out to take in all the 'leafage' around me. "... these are _all_ letters?! I thought they were all smart people research notes or something!"

"In a sense, you're not wrong. There are some distinct quirks that I've noticed about Mawile and her sister in the years I've known them. While both of them have impressive battle capabilities, Team Frontier's Mawile is more outgoing during explorations and makes the most out of her prowess. Our Expedition Society's Mawile, despite her strength, is much more reserved on field work compared to the rest of us here. She dedicates a major portion of her time looking into myths and legends, our researcher of the supernatural, if you will. Even with their identical appearances, their contrasting methods of tackling the unknown gave them trademark airs about them that I can catch onto from a single hunch."

I let my voice go silent and stare on in intrigue. _I wonder if twin me would also be different like that… we'd definitely still be a handful to Pops, that's for sure!_ I giggle to myself and slowly nod at Ampharos as a sign to continue.

He looks down at the table for a second, glancing at the papers scattered there. "And even with their behavioural contrasts, they use their differences as strengths. While Team Frontier goes all out in regularly venturing into the unknown, the discoveries made were looked into in further detail here in the Expedition Society. Two distant teams linked together in a cycle of benefit, all thanks to the wonders of mail and family relations." His gaze remains fixated onto the table, a tender smile slowly forming on his face. "My, my, my. I do believe this is what they call nostalgia."

"Hey…" I walk closer to the table, being mindful of the floor, and notice something by the corner of Ampharos' eye. "... are you… crying?"

"Ah, excuse me…" He lowers his head at a drooped angle and reaches for his face with his hands. "... I can only save face for so long while dwelling on these topics. Even as the dashing leader I am, I can still get quite emotional depending on the circumstances. As you can see, this is one of those circumstances."

The urge to sympathize swells up within me, starting to show in my voice. "Have you ever had a sort of reunion thing?"

He slowly shakes his head. "We've all been quite busy in dealing with our own separate duties as of late, not to mention the sudden crisis of Pokémon turning to stone. Our current situation will have to be dealt with first before any major side plans are to be made. Better safe than sorry during these circumstances."

My expression slowly drops. _That really does feel like a shame…_

Ampharos lifts his head, slowly forming a smile. "Ah, but moping about it now can only get me so far. You understand, don't you?"

I ponder his statement for a thoughtful second. "Yeah. We have to move forward, right? Can't really stay stuck in a rut if there's something to be done, but at the same time, feeling sad about it isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes it shows how much something matters to you and how much you care about it."

The grin on Ampharos' face grows. "There was a familiar air about you that I noticed just now. A sense of child-like wonder and optimism not unlike my Mareep self."

My own smile grows as well. _Maybe we're not so different after all…_

He clears his throat. "Give or take a few navigation issues due to some defect in my head, of course. I'll admit, I may be one of the worst at independently navigating unfamiliar territory on my own, but it was only with help from those I know that I'm here where I stand today."

I let out a faint giggle. "I like having the ability to wander about freely, thank you very much! Without all that bad sense of direction and stuff, the only thing I could be worried about that's in my head is…" A moment of brief realization strikes me. "... that voice…"

Ampharos' expression shifts, probably from noticing my trailing off. "Is something the matter, Fia?"

"Well, I've been dwelling on the whole 'Tree of Life' voice in my head schtick that I vaguely remember," I say, pausing. "Did you find out anything else about it?"

He lowers his head to put a hand to his chin. "Well, well, well. Considering how little we know about it, it almost slipped my mind. Sadly, due to the lack of leads regarding it, no developments have been made. All we know is that it, along with the evolution phenomenon, is related to your scarf, which is enveloped in a mystery of its own."

 _Still nothing?_

Ampharos catches my dropping look and gives me a smile. "However, I'm certain that developments of some sort will arrive sooner or later." He looks towards the front of the room with a sweeping motion of his arm. "Why, it's quite possible your answers could lie right behind that very door!"

I follow his gesture with a look of intrigue. _That's one way to look at it…_

"Chief!" The door swings open with an urgent slam, Mawile stepping in with a look to match.

Ampharos' expression shifts to concern. "My, my, my. What happens to be the matter, Mawile? Did something happen with the business you had to attend to?"

Mawile's stiff expression remains as she directs her attention to the doorway. "I'll let him speak for himself."

She steps aside as another figure hovers in on rapidly fluttering wings before slowly collapsing in front of us, panting in an exasperated way. The way his bag is slung over is shoulder makes him look even more weighed down.

I raise an eyebrow. _Have I seen this guy before?_

The Ledian looks up at Ampharos. "Mister Ampharos… sir… there are more…"

Ampharos walks over to the Ledian and helps him up. "I'm quite content being called Ampharos. If you don't mind me asking… I don't think we've met in person." He pauses. "Dewey, was it?"

I purse my lip. _Why does that name sound vaguely familiar? Like… the vaguest of familiars?_

Dewey nods. "Yes, yes, that's me." He turns to meet my confused stare. "I'm the Ledian you met at the Air Continent, remember?"

I continue staring at his look of anticipation, trying to dig for something I know. "Doesn't ring a bell…"

He sighs, quickly shaking his head. "Well, no matter, I'm used to it by now. For a while now it's been my nature not to leave an impression no matter how hard I try."

Ampharos steps in. "Whatever the case, Dewey, I believe you mentioned a 'more' of some kind?"

Dewey nods again, this time in a hurried nature. "Yes, yes. After what happened to Latios and Latias, I've been doing some flying all across the other continents to see if anything else like this happened. Sure enough, it has!"

My look grows alarmed, prompting me to speak up. "More Pokémon have been turned to stone?!"

He nods again, reaching for his hefty bag's flap. "I've come all the way here because I'm sure you'd all listen to me! Here, I've taken pictures of my findings, too!"

"Do put them on my table, please." Mawile quickly adds.

Dewey does so and digs into his bag's contents with his multiple arms, eventually taking a bunch of printed images laying them all on the desk.

I join in as Mawile and Ampharos all get a good look of the pictures scattered about. While most of these pictures do look like they've been taken in different places at a glance, they all share a deathly grey colour somewhere.

Ampharos' tone grows in awe. "Raikou and Suicune have fallen victim to these attacks… more Legendaries have been targeted, it seems."

"Entei too. I actually checked on their respective areas yesterday, which…" Dewey stops to let out an exhausted breath. "... really took a lot out of me…"

"I've been told it's not just them, either," Mawile adds, taking hold of a few of the other pictures. "Take a look at these ones."

My eyes move over to the select few images Mawile pulled out from the scattered pile. They seem to be taken in a variety of mountainous places like the other few pictures, but I notice a key difference in these particular ones. Rather than just having one figure be turned to stone, these other pictures have several Pokémon as the victims.

My eyes widen in horror. _But… then that means…_

"Relicanth, Lucario, Gallade, Alakazam, Charizard, Tyranitar… mmph… wait a second," Ampharos takes a bite out of the Apple in his hand, his eyes still scanning the different photos. "These aren't Legendary Pokémon. Mmmph… I had a hunch that these were perhaps ferals or bystanders that knew too much, but the more I look, the more I suspect this isn't actually the case…"

As reluctant as I am to get a better look at the stone figures in the pictures, there's something that catches my eye on a petrified Luxray's neck. "Hey guys?" I slowly point towards the object of interest. "Doesn't this look like a badge?"

Ampharos leans his head towards the picture. "You're right… mmmph… now that you do mention it, all of these non-Legendary Pokémon here have what look like exploration team badges."

I speak up once again, a sudden lump forming in my throat. "Does this mean Pokémon in exploration teams are being targeted now?"

"There's one more detail of note here," Mawile states, her eyes briefly scanning the images. "All these pictures depict the victims in areas that are undoubtedly not near civilization. Dewey, you took these specific pictures in mystery dungeons, correct?"

Dewey looks our way and nods. "Near the summits of the areas, too. Like they were traversing to the top but were attacked along the way. I think it even looks like they were all beaten to the point of fainting before whoever turned them to stone… well, turned them to stone."

"As I've suspected," Mawile continues, her stiff and knowledgeable tone remaining. "We weren't the only ones to catch wind of recent events. Except these unfortunate explorers wasn't so lucky when taking action."

I slowly glance down at my scarf. _Lucky… yeah…_

Dewey crosses all four of his arms. "I did catch something odd. While Entei, Raikou, and Suicune were all turned to stone, I didn't happen to catch any additional victims at Entei's place."

"I do believe that is because _we…"_ Ampharos adds to the emphasis with an extra crunch of his Apple. "... were the bunch who took to exploring Entei's domain."

Dewey's eyes widen as his hands start visibly shaking. "W-W-Wait, y-y-you…"

"Dear heavens…" Ampharos pauses to swallow a chunk of Apple. "... I can understand your surprise. The attack caught us off guard, too. I can say the only reason all of us managed to make it out in one piece is because of Indigo and Fia." He motions his hand in a sweeping gesture towards me.

Dewey's shaky eyes slowly look over me. "Y-Y-You… how…?"

 _You're not the only one confused about this stuff…_

Ampharos chimes in once again, this time with a different object in his hand. "If I may, I believe this picture is a good place to start explaining."

He passes his Expedition Gadget to Dewey, a picture of some sort open on its screen. I only get a glance at it, but just managing to see the volcanic setting, the Lucario, and the Serperior is enough for me to realize-

 _Wait, why am I the only one with a bleeding nose in that picture? Weren't we both hit by-_ I suddenly recall that exact moment and remember. … _oh. Never mind…_

I still find a reason to object. "Wait, so while we were battling, you were just sitting back and taking pictures?"

"Ha ha, of course," Ampharos says without a care in the world. "I was waiting for the Embargo's effects to wear off, but at the same time, I didn't want to get in your way. You seemed to have everything under control, and with the camera being the only working function at that time, I decided to take the opportunity."

I catch a faint smile waver Mawile's rigid gaze. "As questionable as your initiative is, Chief, I suppose this moment proves how it paid off."

"Why thank you, Mawile!" His grin turns proud. "I was actually thinking of getting this climactic moment framed to put with the rest."

"W-Wait… l-let me get you all straight…" Dewey looks up from Ampharos' Gadget and takes a deep breath. "... so these Beheeyem here in the picture are responsible for the stone incidents and attacked you for what I assume is your being there?"

Mawile gives him a slow nod. "If everything we've assumed from the pictures you've shown are correct, then the motive for attack towards these non-Legendary Pokémon does hold up. These attackers seem to show dire urgency towards the presence of others."

"If I may add something…" Ampharos speaks up, briefly pausing. "... mmph… while these Beheeyem seem to be a trio, judging from the surprisingly high body count in such a short amount of time, I have a hunch these Beheeyem aren't the only ones performing these deeds in secret. If there are more of these Pokémon out there, then it is also possible that they might not just be Beheeyem."

"If this is indeed the case, considering you seem to be the only ones who lived to tell the tale, that'll put us higher on their priority list," Mawile adds. "We should proceed cautiously. While Jirachi has made it so that the Expedition Society Headquarters can possess the highest forms of security when the need arises, there's no telling if these perpetrators have any other surprises up their sleeves."

My stare stiffens for a second. _You know, I suddenly have the urge to stay indoors…_

"Indeed… we…" Ampharos stops to stare at his hand. "... oh dear. It appears I'll have to retrieve another Apple. Ahem, back to what I was saying, we'll have to form our own plan of rebuttal while still keeping things low profile. It's better to start planning while we can. We could do with more information, however…"

"If you need semi-credible information that's done with… unintentionally… low profile investigation, I'm your guy!" Dewey presses his right hands to his chest and wears a confident smile. "Just… one more thing." He motions to the Expedition Gadget. I'll still need to be filled in on the whole… Serperior and Lucario thing going on here."

"That is… hmm, yes…" Ampharos raises an eyebrow with a dejected look. "Fia, would you kindly attempt to explain whatever you know on this matter?"

 _I was waiting for that question to pop up…_ I let out a sheepish chuckle. "Alright."

 **Hours later, Indigo's POV**

"So Indigo… that was a dinner to remember…"

"Yeah…" I breathe out a sigh. "Tell me about it…"

I slowly walk along with Fia through the briefing area towards our room, a tuckered weight to my step. A full dinner isn't the only reason for this, however.

"That information drop by Jirachi was something, that's for sure." She gives me her gentle arm punch. "How'd that information get outta the bag, anyways?"

I rub the back of my head and chuckle. "It's… a bit of a complicated story, actually…"

… _involving me taking a gamble with mixed blessings…_

"Things were already made much more awkward for me… even as I just let it happen…" I continue. "What surprised me even more was that it didn't seem like anyone at the dinner table thought much of it either… which just makes me question their standards even further. Not even that Ledian appeared too surprised…"

"I'm just surprised at how my afternoon with Ampharos went," Fia replies. "We actually have much more in common than I thought."

The mere mention gets my paw instinctively twitching at my bag, only to relax my senses. _Whew…_

"Hey, come on." Fia notices my sigh and gives me another arm punch. "It's not like I was actually going to force you to buy me a Mega Donut pack. Maybe."

"Right…" I chuckle. _Even if I was the one who came up with the conditions, I have a hard time believing that._

I slowly open the door, with a bit of trouble, to see-

"Hey look, mail!" Fia excitedly reaches for the envelopes on the floor by the door, probably slipped in from beneath. "And a lot of it, too!"

I catch a glance at the envelopes Fia's scooping with her vines. It looks like there are a bit more than ten… possibly some for me?

 _The fact that it seems like there's more than one for me is surprising enough…_

"Here, Indigo!" As if on cue, Fia passes me a bunch of letters wrapped around her vines. "These ones should be yours."

I take the pile in my paws and set them down as I sit on my straw bed. Fia does the same, but in a quicker manner.

With a careful eye, I pick up the nearest letter and examine it.

 _This… this really is for me… and it's from Serene Village, too…_

I open the envelope up and hold the letter in my paws. _Wait… this handwriting…_

"These letters are from our friends in school!" Fia speaks up from her side of the room with her eager grin. "About time they wrote back!" She adds with a giggle.

I chuckle back, opening up a few more envelopes. "It's starting to look like I just got some short little messages I'd expect to see on greeting cards… still, it's good to know they miss us."

"Hee hee!" Fia giggles some more as she shuffles through her letters, eventually setting them back down. "I'll definitely write back to them. I wonder what they've been up to during summer vacation…"

"You should be the one telling them what you were up to, heh." I smile at her. "I'm pretty sure nothing's gonna top breaking the laws of evolution."

Her eyes light up with excitement. "That's a great idea! Ampharos said he even took a picture of us at the scene, so I can send them that just in case they don't believe me!" Her eyes go back to the letter in her hands. "I'll just finish reading these oodles of apologies from Pancham first…"

 _Looks like she's busy… maybe I should get to writing my return letters, while I'm at it…_

I set aside the letters and- _wait a second…_

My eyes suddenly catch the last few sentences of a specific letter.

" _Don't worry Indigo, your secret is safe with me. I saw it in your mind while we were all in Foreboding Forest. I won't tell anyone, promise._

 _Until we meet again,_

 _Espurr"_

 _A… secret?_

My paws remain stiff as my eyes leave the last bit of writing. A mixed state of emotion starts rising up within me, leaving me very confused but at the same time very intrigued at something _I_ should know the answer to.

 _Maybe… this is something I should keep to myself for the time being…_ I glance Fia's way. … _I'll just have to ask Espurr about whatever this is in more detail before I bring it up…_

I set the letters aside, putting them back into their respective envelopes.

 _Hmm… maybe I can put these in the box that Fia and I have just left sitting in the corner… putting this mail in a box just sounds right for some reason…_

I line all the envelopes up, leaving them in a neat pile held between my paws.

 _All… the envelopes…_ I find myself with the urge to double check.

Fumbling a bit at first, I shuffle through the envelopes, only to stop at the reminder that there are only five. Espurr, Deerling, Pancham, Shelmet, and Goomy. Only… five.

My ears droop. _He… still hasn't written back, has he?_

"Hey… Fia… did your Pops write back to you?"

She turns her head my way and nods, still grinning. "I'm reading his letter right now, actually!" She slowly leans to the side to gaze at my letters. "Did Nuzleaf write back yet?"

"Well…" I trail off and let my expression speak for itself.

Fia's stare widens in surprise for a second before softening, wearing a sympathetic frown to match. "He still hasn't? Hmm…" She briefly scans through the letter in her hands once more. "Pops doesn't say anything about Nuzleaf here. You know what, I should ask him. You should probably send a follow-up letter too, just in case."

"A-Another letter? But… I've already sent a letter to the Grass Continent today… I don't want to overdo it since more than five letters in one day already seems like much… Doesn't sending this stuff out cost the Society or something?"

She shrugs. "Maybe. I dunno. Pops and I have been exchanging a few letters just fine, and it's not like I'm being called out on it or anything."

"Well… what if Nuzleaf doesn't write back again for some… reason I don't even know about?"

"Only one way to find out, right? Come on, you won't get any answers if you don't try, so go for it!" Fia flashes me her smirk of a grin. "If nothing's happening, then sometimes you just have to _do_ something!"

"You… do have a point…" I pause to take a deep breath. When I exhale, I feel a short surge of confidence flow through me. Not a lot, but just enough to spark a smile of my own. "Okay… I'll do it." I slowly put aside my short envelope pile and retrieve my Expedition Gadget from my bag.

Fia gives me a nod and reaches for her bag. "And I'll do the same with my Pops."

I cast one more glance at her before looking back to my Expedition Gadget's screen as it boots up.

 _Look at all these options… it's been a while since I've sent a letter… but looking at this screen now, there are a lot of things I've never bothered touching… I should go back to reading the instruction manual sooner or later…_

 _Calendar… Expedition Society members… wait, there are games? Okay, wow, there is a lot here I haven't explored…_

After a bit of staring, I swipe my paw across the screen some more and eventually make it to the mail menu waiting for my input. My paw freezes just shy off the screen, prompting me to take another deep breath.

 _H-How do I start this…? Do I… still bring up the previous letter? Or do I just pretend that it doesn't exist?_

 _Argh…_ A faint chilling breeze prompts me to glance at a brief view of the night sky out the 'window' on the wall. … _the wind from outside isn't helping much…_

"Uh…" I end up mouthing my indecisiveness as my paw remains stiff.

"... okay, and _done!"_ Fia presses her vine onto her Gadget's screen before setting the device aside. She looks my way, only for her expression to shift. "Indigo? You okay there?"

"I'm… a bit stuck…" The wistfulness swelling up within me is let out in a sigh. "I don't really know where to start with this whole letter…"

She cocks her head. "Is it really that hard?"

"Well… I'm really not sure what direction I want to go with this… this is Nuzleaf after all, so I want to put in what effort I can, but I'm not sure how I should use this effort…"

Fia responds with a warm smile. "You really appreciate Nuzleaf, dontcha?" She giggles. "I understand that sorta feeling. Even with all the trouble I cause my Pops, I still love him for raising me, right from the bottom of my heart. He's not even my real daddy, yet I still look up to him for being the parent who _actually_ took me in. Like how Nuzleaf did with you, right?"

I widen my eyes for a second. _Wow… I didn't expect Fia to be that insightful about this…_ "You basically hit the nail on the coffin… I don't know what I would've done if I didn't stumble into Nuzleaf during the Beheeyem attack…"

"And I don't know what _I_ would've done if Pops never found me in the fields." Fia's gaze trails off. "Then again, it wasn't like I _could've done_ anything since I was apparently still very young at the time. I was easy pickings for any Pokémon swooping by, too…" She slowly lifts her gaze towards me, her smile returning. "But I'm still glad Pops adopted me in the end. It feels good knowing I have someone like him as a father figure."

"A… father figure?" I start dwelling on her words for a second. "I spent just a few days with Nuzleaf, so I've only really seen him as a guardian of sorts… but thinking about it, I would definitely like to start seeing him as a father figure one day."

 _I want to feel what it's like to have an actual parent…_

"I don't know why, but he just feels like the type of guy who'd be a great father. You don't really have much to worry about, Indigo," Fia replies with a giggle. "If you want things to sound natural to him, then you just have to be yourself. I'm sure Nuzleaf won't mind. Being you is the best you you can show, right?" Her gaze trails off for a second. "Did I word that right? I think I did."

"Just… be myself?" I slowly cock my head at an angle. "How… do I do that?"

"You don't have to think too hard about it, silly," Fia adds with an amused giggle. "Just go with whatever comes to your mind. Maybe tell him about your day, that's what I usually do with Pops."

 _Just… whatever comes to my mind? Like instinct?_

I slowly take a deep breath, this time, shifting all of my focus to the screen in front of me. The sound of my exhale is all I hear, its faint echo reaching my ears as I feel the air around me still. "Okay… let's see how this goes."

Nothing but silence ensues as one paw firmly grasps the Gadget while the other gets to work on typing the message. Not even the sounds of my rapid input reaches my ears, all I barely manage to make out is the faint rhythm of my breathing.

I press the option on the screen that presumably sends the message, and the faint whistle of the night breeze reaches my ears. "... okay… done." I take a second to blink. "Here's to hoping this letter gets to him… however it gets to him…"

"You worry too much, silly." Fia inches over to my side and gives me an arm nudge. "Of course the letter's gonna get to him. And then he'll write back, simple as that."

The optimism in her tone and the cheer in her grin ends up feeling contagious. "Alright, I'll take your word for it. I've been on quite the information streak today, so… who knows?" I chuckle, shrugging.

I see that curious glint light up in Fia's eyes. "I almost forgot to ask! Did something _else_ happen while you were with Jirachi and Sammy?"

I nod. "Jirachi found out a bit about our scarves, too… well, just a bit…"

Her excited look only continues to flare. "What is it? It's something we don't know, right?"

I chuckle. "I guess so… but you seem surprisingly enthusiastic about this, don't you?"

She cocks her head. "What about it?"

I pause, recalling her words. "Weren't you the one who said that you'd rather just have some comfy scarves than a complicated mystery?"

"Oh yeah, that…" She sheepishly giggles. "... well, you can say I had a change of heart. Maybe these'll be the answers to something interesting, which is always exciting! Again, you won't find anything if you don't move forward with it! You never know, right?"

My smile remains. "I suppose so."

 **?'s POV**

"Urgh… frankly, I do not think relying this heavily on these two misfits will bode us well. Surely there must be some other form of attack we can take." A deep growl reaches me.

"Won't you just can it?!" I reply. "Somethin' like this wouldn't work with any of us. Even if we're temporarily hirin' some crooks, the fact that they're crooks is what we need! For what I've come up with to go smoothly, we'll need folks that already have that ornery shade about them. None of us can fill that role."

"Oh. I can understand that last part since it'd just blow our ruses, but couldn't we use the Beheeyem? The Expedition Society probably know about their true nature now."

I slowly shake my head. "I'm 'fraid that won't do. What's real important is that we need these folks to be disposable. As much as I'd like to get rid of them blinkin' buffoons, Dark Matter wouldn't take that very lightly."

"Oh. But how are you going to get these guys' help if they're just going to get tossed aside?"

I already feel the smirk comin' to my face. "Simple. I just won't tell 'em. It was about time I did some backstabbing…" I frown. "... whether the feeling in my gut likes it or not."

"Hmm? Was that wistful hesitation I heard there?" The growl shifts into a chortle of deep laughter.

 _Bah… there it is again… of all the times for my moral compass to suddenly kick in! But why?!_

"Never you mind," I reply. "What matters right about now is that we have some important business to deal with. Our target: them scarves."


	24. 24: The Wind That Whistles

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 24 - The Wind That Whistles**

 **Fia's POV**

It's been a while since I've had a bit of troubling falling asleep. That's really weird. Our room is really nice and everything with how I've kept things arranged. The wind isn't even bothering me that much anymore, especially because of the arms pulling me close to a furry chest.

I'm as comfy as can be… so what's keeping me? Is it because of what happened today? I'm pretty sure Indigo and I did well with what we learned from the other Society members today.

… _what did we talk about, again? Indigo talked to Jirachi and Sammy about our scarves and I found some stuff out about stone Pokémon with Ampharos and Mawile… oh yeah, wasn't there that one other Pokémon who was there?_

I can think about what happened today all I want and I still can't sleep. What gives? It's peaceful and quiet and everything… wait, what if it's a bit too quiet?

 _Maybe talking to Indigo about whatever will help. That always puts me at ease._

"Hey Indigo. You're awake, right?"

No answer. Figures. I let a vine slip out from near my shoulder and maneuver it to where I think his snout is. One quick loop later my vine is wrapped around it, letting me give a little squeeze. Indigo makes a quick little noise sounding like a surprised sneeze as I yank my vine back.

"F-Fia… come on…" He withdraws one of his hugging arms from behind me. I bring my head back and look up to see him pawing at his snout. "You know I don't like it when you do that…"

I wear my most neutral face and bring up the first thing that comes to mind. "I can't sleep. It's the wind's fault."

Even in the darkness, I can see his gaze meet mine, but only for a second before he slightly tilts his head. "The… wind? Come on, Fia… I'm already trying my best to keep you warm…"

I briefly glance back at the window. "Not that. It's being too loud."

He blinks, his look shifting. "... I don't hear anything."

I let my frown show. "It was being loud before! It must've woken you up, too!"

Indigo pauses again, his look furrowing even more. I feel him let out a breath. "You woke me up. So… what do you want this time?"

This time, I'm the one tilting my head. "What do you mean?"

I barely catch the look in his reddish sunset-coloured eyes as it turns focused. Its deep shade isn't that different from mine, now that I think about it… "Fia, at this point I've already figured out how you said you're cold so I would hug you while we sleep. Now you're saying that the wind's being too loud when I'd argue that you're the louder one here." Indigo suddenly pauses, his stare drooping to soften. "Not that I… mind any of that, of course…"

His words make me giggle. "Come on, silly. I'm sure I'm not that bad."

I'm pretty sure he lets out a chuckle under his breath. "That's… what I said." Indigo smiles at me. "Really, I'd take your voice over some howling wind any day."

"Hee hee hee!" I return the grin, but this time with a triumphant air about it. "Good."

He doesn't respond and his smile fades, leaving us back in the silence of the night. So silent that I'm _pretty_ sure I can hear the wind again.

Indigo makes a little sniffling noise, reaching back to his snout with a paw. "Did you… really wake me up just to compliment you?"

My smile remains. "Yep!"

I notice the subtle rise of his chest as he lets out a breath again. "I'm… not surprised…"

Back to the silence again. From how this turned out, I don't know if he's still expecting me to respond. Our stares just fall into this weird blank space where we're not staring at anything in particular while Indigo's words just float around in my head. But that's all there is to it.

 _Still don't feel sleepy enough…_ At least talking with Indigo got my mind working even the _slightest_ bit. Other than the already foggy memories of our exchange, I remember all the other stuff we did today. Really just left a lot of questions that left me confused more than anything rather than giving me answers to be excited for. Sure, all this stuff about our scarves could be exciting, but it's not like I can just spring to action and start solving immediately. It could be that I just wanna figure that stuff out right away, but it's not like we have any direction yet.

 _I wonder if I can change that…_

My gaze suddenly makes its way past Indigo's shoulder to give me a new object of interest, the box tucked away by this room's corner… or, whatever you call one of the edges of a circular room. I think Indigo put some stuff there before, but the last time I remember him doing anything with that was today, actually. He was putting some letters in there. Letters from our friends back in Serene Village… hmm…

The words bouncing around in my head start to stir. Now there's something on my mind again. Maybe I can use this to make sure I feel satisfied with how this exchange goes…

 **Indigo's POV**

 _Of all the things to let this conversation drop…_

I really did mean it when I said I wasn't surprised at Fia's motives for waking me up. Perhaps to the point where I can let the forced sneeze slide… well, almost. Part of me still can't get over how she used the wind as her alibi…

 _That… sounds like the type of excuse she'd pull out of her… uh…_

The urge to shake the thought away comes, but my lingering drowsiness dulls the gesture away. Whatever the case, with now that I've said what I said with nothing but awkward silence left, my dozing off would just get rid of whatever… weird thoughts I can have now. Fortunately. All that's left is to let sleep take me in again and wait for the next-

"That means you're the quiet one, right?"

Fia's voice thrusts me out before I'm snatched away. My attention is spruced back up to let me see her giving me a look, allowing me to notice just how much attention her curiosity is piling on me.

"Uh…" I blink, just to make sure I heard that right. "... what?"

She blinks as well, but with a much more focused stare than mine. "The way you say I'm loud reminds me of Serene Village. Even if I was more outspoken than others, the only ones I can really call quiet are Espurr and Goomy, but even they've been talking more lately."

I take a second to pause, letting my mind take all of that in. Well… that, and also to resist the urge to yawn. "Yeah…?"

Fia lowers her eyelids ever so slightly in that familiar way when she's about to ask a question. "Are you just shy or… weird like they were?"

My mind's gone back to being active enough to piece together what she's asking. I feel my ears droop. "Oh… that…" I almost want to let my gaze trail off out of habit. "If… you have to ask, I guess I'd just say I'm unsure about everything…"

She cocks her head at a slight angle, her tone loosening a bit. "Like… what?"

I slowly look away from her and dip my stare, quietly taking a breath as I try to focus. "Just everything… my identity… my human past… my voice… I'm not sure if what I am is… really who I am." My eyes shut. "Everything that's mine… might not actually be mine…" My paws clench around Fia's back, making me want to pull her closer. "With how little I know about my past… I might as well have stolen an identity…"

"Indigo…" And right there, her voice thrusts me from the darkness once more. I let my eyes open and become deathly aware of how much air I've breathed out of my lungs. With that comes panic, but then I meet Fia's stare. Concerned, but also with that look of silent understanding that lets me know it's safe to continue.

 _Fia…_ I pause and try to compose myself. Closing my eyes as I let the air back in, I go back to digging through my mind. "I don't even know if my voice is my own…" With a bit of a wheeze, I become keen on my breath and everything about it. "Is this… really a voice I'd be worth… associating with?"

And that's it. At this point, I feel like I've emptied all I can. Slowly, as if afraid, I let my eyes open to see Fia's reaction. She smiles at me, just her simple trademark smile. Honestly and thankfully, I don't know why I expected anything else.

"Indigo… if it means anything, you've already become a great Pokémon in my eyes." A familiar little hand smacks at the area near my shoulder. "You're my best friend, silly! I'm sure you already know how comfortable I am around you." She makes the faintest giggling noise, letting more of her smile show. "Besides, I like your voice."

My ears perk up. "You… do?" Is the darkness gone?

Her smile continues being genuine. "It fits you. I know you tend to be quiet and all that stuff, but I think your voice really suits you. It'd be nice if I just heard you speak up more."

And with that, a wave of relief washes over me. "I…" I manage to smile without having it waver. "Thanks."

"Hee hee hee!" Trademark giggle. "My pleasure! You know Indigo, I'd take you singing me to sleep over the loud wind any day!"

I can't help but catch onto her enthusiasm and- "... wait, sing?" I can't help but go back to tilting my head.

Her look grows excited. I catch that glint in her eyes. She has a story to tell. "Oh, I didn't tell you yet!" I can already hear that bounciiness in her eagerness. "You see, when I was little, I was still to my Pops. Even as a lil' Snivy it was difficult to make me sleep! So Pops actually helped me doze off by humming to me! Sure, it wasn't any singing, but music played a big part in helping me snooze."

That very last sentence piques my interest, especially with how it was worded. "Wait, music? You have… actual music here?"

She nods. "Yep! We hear bird Pokémon whistle melodies all the time!"

 _Not… what I have in mind, but…_ "Oh… right. W-Well… whatever the case, this singing thing… I don't know if I can try it right now…"

Her eagerness remains undeterred. "That's okay! I can try to teach you! Just as long as you promise to do this singing thing to me for realsies one day!"

 _For… real?_ I close my eyes for a second before collecting my breath. "Okay… I promise."

I look back at Fia to see her with an amused look. "Come on, silly, this is such a big thing for the both of us! Gimme some more enthusiasm!"

 _Enthusiasm?_ "O-Okay…" I try breathing in once again, but this time, I loosen my shoulders as I exhale. "Fia… I promise to sing you to sleep one day."

Her amused look only grows as she casts a brief glance to her right. "Hee hee hee! That's the spirit! I think the wind heard it too! That way it can always remind you!"

"Uh… right…" A part of me says to catch on, making me follow her gaze as well. _Hi wind._ "Do… singing lessons start tomorrow!"

She looks back at me, endearing stare and all. "Yep! Now to wait 'til morning comes!"

And back comes the silence, but one that feels welcome. With what I've said, it feels like I managed to lift a burden off my chest. One that I'm sure I couldn't have lifted alone, which I'm perfectly okay with. Having Fia be there for me is more of a blessing than I initially took her companionship for. I guess I really shouldn't be surprised. She's my best friend, and I'm her best friend. Being there for each other is what we do.

"Indigo," a cheery voice calls to me, bringing me out of my delighted thought trance. "the wind's being cold again!"

I smile at her. "I got you, I got you…"

With my paws still around her, this time, I actually pull her closer, feeling the extra contact against my fur. I think now I understand why Fia likes these hugs so much. Right now, I don't feel alone. I feel comforted. Part of me doesn't want to let go, almost as if that part of me has grown protective.

Whatever the case, if there's anything I can be sure of, it's that I'll be there for whatever wind decides to bother Fia.

 **NOTE: Hello, everyone. You've probably noticed that chapters have been taking significantly longer to get out recently, and for that, I apologize. Real life stuff and other miscallenaous causes have been getting at me lately. Even if this chapter is short, I hope it'll be enough to at least make the wait for the next one more bearable. Either way, thanks for reading, and I hope you have a good day.**

 _-flareon71_


	25. 25: Looking Back, Dreaming Forward

**The Tale of Team Longshot - A Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Fanfiction**

 **Chapter 25 - Looking Back, Dreaming Forward**

 **The next morning, Indigo's POV**

I've once been told that everything happens for a reason.

It took me a while before actually realizing how much weight a saying like that could have. Whatever thinking process I had back in Serene Village was… something, to say the least.

Even now, I feel like there are still some inner traits of mine that are still questionable. Like how I still ponder over that saying I've been told over other important things. One thing's for certain, my talk with Jirachi and Sammy got me… quite concerned on what other mysteries lie behind my identity. Especially considering how everyone else in the Expedition Society knows about it now.

When it comes to searching for answers in my current state… well, sleeping doesn't really leave me with a lot of things to ponder or look out for. Other than… somehow being aware that I'm in this murky subconscious space. All I can really take note of are the dreams I have in hopes that they possess at least _some_ shred of what my mind instinctively held before losing its memories. Anything conveying a thinking habit of some sort that links to my previous life would certainly help. But recently, there hasn't been anything noteworthy other than my sleeping mind just going through the incoherent motions, all forgotten the second my consciousness returns.

That is, all but one dream. The details are still etched in my mind, as if to serve as a vivid reminder of… something. My mind plays the events back. The dream I had the night I became an Expedition Society member. Humans towering me everywhere. My rasp of a bark. The sequence ending with a beam of light taking me back to the darkness of a dreamless state.

 _W-Wait…_ I suddenly notice I'm still in the darkness from before, some expanse space of endless emptiness where only I sit. The more I blankly stare, the more it seems like it's a space meant just for me. It's weirdly familiar… but also weirdly comforting… like a weirdly sheltered kind of feeling.

 _Weird…_ It even starts to feel like home for a second. Like… a neighbourhood kind of thing where there are other darknesses out there for other Pokémon like me.

 _Like… me…_ The thought takes a second to sink in. As soon as it does, it hits me in the head like a harsh drill. It's like the very thought created some sort of paradox that starts tearing me apart.

 _What does any of this mean?_ If I could clutch my aching head in whatever space I'm in, I would. In a frantic attempt to get back to whatever familiarity is in my vicinity, I try to bring my gaze back to the sheltered darkness from before, only to find that it's gone. Darkness takes its place, but the kind that's unfamiliar to me. _Who brought me here? Why?_

The questions of ' _who' 'what' 'why'_ and ' _how'_ continue piling on me, like thoughts long overdue coming back to haunt me. And even then, I have no idea how to respond to any of them. Like a cacophony of panicked voices. It starts getting to a point where I don't know if I'm asking the questions or if I'm being asked them.

 _Make it stop-_ I barely hear my own plea before it drowns out in the loop of voices all closing in on me. At this rate any thoughts about who I am, where I am, or anything for that matter starts to wear away to give way to the fear and despair cornering me.

And then in one brief instance, it all gets lifted away. All of it, in one fell swoop, nothing more, nothing less. I'm left in the silent yet peaceful darkness, quiet thoughts muttering to themselves before I realize that they're mine. Once I quiet my own mental voice down, it's then that I notice the darkness around me fading away in a light of sort. I'd be surprised, but at this point I'm just confused more than anything.

A voice suddenly speaks. I don't know whether or not it's speaking to me. All I remember is the whole world around me disappearing in white light before everything slips away.

" _Interesting…"_

I suddenly regain control of my limbs, being thrust out of my unconsciousness and suddenly feeling the weight of exhaustion spread to my entire body. "Hnngg…" I put a paw to my head, wondering why I feel a sort of faint pain there. _All I remember was falling asleep with Fia… did something happen?_

With a quick stretch and a yawn, I slowly sit myself onto my straw bed, trying to blink the drowsiness away. I take my time stretching. _How… long was I asleep?_

"Good morning, Indigo! About time you woke up, silly!" Fia's cheery voice reaches my ears, making me turn to see her sitting by the window, against the wall and directly under a beam of sunlight.

I meekly smile back at her, my uncertainty starting to fade away at the very sight. "Good morning, Fia… what're you doing up so early?"

"Waiting for you to wake up."

I can't help but chuckle. "And… before that?"

She looks up at the sunlight. "Photosynthesizing. Gotta get my Vitamin D sooner or later!" She gives me a sheepish look. "I sometimes start acting weird if I don't get it."

I cock my head. "What's… a vitamin?"

She gives me a confused look back. "You weren't there for that class with Audino?"

"I did join late… so no, I think."

Fia shrugs. "Well, don't feel too bad. Neither was I." Her excited look returns as she gestures for me to sit next to her. "Get on over here, Indigo! I found this cool picture of us!"

 _Wait, a picture?_ I stagger a bit upon getting up on my feet, then make my way over to her.

As I sit down, Fia reaches over to her bag and takes out her Expedition Gadget, pressing on its screen for a bit before handing it to me.

I immediately recognize the setting with the fiery orange rock of Fire Island Volcano's peak alongside the two groups of Pokémon on different sides of the image. Opposite the scarily deadpan stares of the Beheeyem stand me and Fia intensely staring them down. Or rather, our evolved selves.

I find myself meeting my own stare. With Fia, I can understand the determined look on her Serperior face, a look that's true to her thrill-seeking Snivy self with some regal touches that demand authority. But then there's the Lucario who looks almost foreign to me. I know it's _me,_ but when I think _me,_ I don't see a posture this straight or a stare this steadfast. At least, not usually.

All of a sudden, I start staring at my Lucario self in a mix of confusion and admiration. Confused because I'm still in slight disbelief that someone I'm this inclined to look up to is actually me, but slightly admiring because I know this will probably be me sometime in the future. It's like I took a glimpse at future me, everything down to appearance and mindset, only to learn that things actually look bright for me.

"We sure look awesome, do we?" Fia's giggle breaks my stare away. "Can you just imagine, someday that'll be us! When we undergo evolution for real!"

I chuckle. "I already have imagined, actually…" I pause for a second, suddenly processing her words. "Wait… so how are we _actually_ supposed to evolve?"

"Oh! You weren't there for that class, were you?" I notice an excited glint in Fia's eyes. However more excited she can be. "Well, for me, It'll just come in due time when I get older for something, but that's just for the Servine phase! It's a completely different story for you! You're one of those happiness evolving Pokémon, right?"

 _That… sounds about right… right?_ I tilt my head ever so slightly. "I think so."

Fia grins at my response. "Guess you get to evolve earlier than me. So what makes you happy?"

"Happy?" I pause. "Well… I'm usually content… so what do you mean by that?"

"Like the super excited kind of happy!" She gets up and starts jumping in place as if to demonstrate. "Whatever makes you feel super giddy, like you're at the top of the world, like nothing else matters!" At this point, if Fia's excitement was tangible, she'd be oozing it with how much she looks like she wants to let it all burst.

Even then, I still can't help but smile up at her. "Is it… really that simple?"

It's then that all her giddiness slips away as she slumps back to a sitting position beside me, shrugging. "Maybe. I just know all this from Miss Audino's class. I dunno how well I was listening for all the other evolution methods that aren't mine. All I heard was happy and started to make it up from there." Fia's not-so-subtle smile returns as she jabs my arm. "Of course, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous that you can just evolve as soon as possible by finding that happiness trigger."

"O-Oh…" I smile a little flattered smile. "Well… to be honest, I was never really sure I'd even last that long…"

Fia's smile fades, her stare immediately becoming concerned. "What are you talking about?"

"W-Well…" My expression drops as I briefly tear my gaze away and rub my arm. "For the most part, all I've really been thinking of is the current stuff we're dealing with… like the stone events, Beheeyem, Expedition Society things… figuring out my past…" I bring myself to glance at her again. "I never really thought about all that long term stuff like growing up, getting to evolve and… well, actually having a future." My voice suddenly cuts off for a second. "I feel lost just thinking about it…"

"Indigo…" Fia's stare slowly treads to the Expedition Gadget still in my paws, picture still displaying. "Tell you what. When it comes to me, having something to look forward to helps. Like this picture here." She takes the device back to stare at it. "Getting to evolve and get stronger and all that was always a goal of mine, and it still is, actually." I catch her with the faintest of smiles directed towards the picture of her Serperior self. And then she directs that warm smile my way. "But you know what else was a really huge goal of mine?"

I almost don't respond, suddenly finding myself quiet in the midst of her gaze, until I become aware of the invisible nudge her expectant stare is giving me. I play along. "Er… what?"

"Joining the Expedition Society, silly!" She puts her Gadget down to give me a playful jab to the arm. "And everyone thought I was out of my mind for aspiring so soon! Well, except for Pops, but he still scolded me sometimes." She quickly shakes her head before her stare can trail off. "Do you remember who helped me get to where I am today?"

Again with the expectant stare. Now I'm really not sure where she's going with this. "Me… right?"

She nods eagerly. "That's right! Just goes to show that even if almost everyone didn't believe in me, I still pulled through! With some help, of course." Fia then jumps to her feet in a quick gesture, smiles and all. "So! Just as how you've helped me, I want to help you, too! What do you look forward to into a future?"

I hesitate for a second at the sudden question. "Uh… not dying via turning into stone?"

"That's the spirit!" Fia says with an encouraging tone despite my half-hearted effort. "What else? Anything you want to achieve? Like growing up or anything?"

"You mean like… adult stuff?" I pause for a second to dwell on that point. "I mean… I guess I'd like to grow up to find a mate and start a family… that's what adults do, right?"

Fia stands there for a second before going back to smiling at me. "Whoa! I didn't think you've got this future planning stuff down already! You weren't even there for that 'growing up' class or anything!"

I'm just left confused at how excited she's being. "I thought this was common sense… was I not supposed to know this?"

"You tell me," Fia replies with a subtle smirk. "You're the one with the memory problems."

My eyes widen as I realize what she's getting at. "Wait… wait…"

It's then that I close my eyes in an attempt to fish for something in my head. Something that isn't my name or most common sense things or these growing up topics. Memories pop up, but not the ones I'm looking for. _Come on… anything from before I was a Riolu will do…_

Nothing too unfamiliar pops up. I sigh.

I'm met with Fia's now-concerned look. "Did you find anything?"

"Not really…" I slowly shake my head. I try to muster a chuckle. "Maybe… another time?"

My attempt earns me a slight smile from Fia. "You know what, we just found something else you can start striving for other than not dying!"

I pause. "You mean… trying to remember stuff?"

She looks at me, smiles and all. "You _do_ want to find out more about your human past, right? And something about what we just talked about gave you the tiniest peek at something you knew! Like how you remembered how Pokémon start families and all that! Sooner or later, when the time is right, you'll start to remember more! Maybe!"

The enthusiasm starts catching on. My smile peeks. "Yeah… you're right, actually."

"You bet I'm right! We're gonna find out more about you, bit by bit!"

I know I shouldn't be surprised, but I still can't help but smile up at her from my sitting position. There's just something about how she said 'we'. "You said 'we're' as in 'we are', right?"

Her smile shifts ever so slightly in such a way that seems more genuine. "Yep! You and me, just as it's always been! We're the Longshot duo, after all!" She extends a hand my way. "Now put 'er there!"

I don't even hesitate to take her hand in my paw. At first I ready myself to shake it, but then find myself surprised when Fia pulls me up to help me onto my feet.

Fia then releases her grip, greeting my look with an amused one. I catch her take a glance at her scarf. "We may have all these mysteries floating around, but we're gonna solve 'em all and have fun while doing it! Even if it takes us one step at a time! Here's to your memories and not dying via turning to stone!"

I nod at her and smile back, raising my paw to the sky as well. "To my memories! And our… well being, too!"

Right as I utter the words, I feel a familiar sense of child-like giddiness coursing through me, not unlike the hopping excitement that's clearly evident in Fia's lingering stare of excitement. A smile of pure bliss coming from both me and her, and for a brief second, I think I catch her directing her stare somewhere else-

The sudden sound of something clicking immediately catches my surprised look as I quickly shift my stare to the sound's source. I must have missed the part where Fia picked up her Expedition Gadget with a vine and held it near us.

"That's a keeper!" She drops the device into her hands with a cheeky giggle on her face. "Managed to get your smile in there, too! Shame you weren't looking at the camera, but the look on your face is still more than enough for me!"

I try to inch closer to her to get a better look at what Fia's gawking at. I get a look at the look in question, an image of my smiling self from just a few seconds ago. And just like Fia said, I'm not even looking at the camera alongside her, but instead staring _at_ her. Even once Fia starts navigating some of the other screens of her Gadget, I still can't help but dwell over how different I look now compared to the Lucario picture. I know it's still me in both scenarios, but the drastic difference in composure still leaves me dumbfounded-

"And that's another picture to be framed!" Fia gives me a nudge, allowing me another look at the photo. "What do you think, Indigo? We got some good smiles, dontcha think?"

I take a second to admire the picture once more, this time focusing on the cheerful smile Fia's aiming at the camera. Still energetic, still worry-free, still all her. I find myself smiling back at the picture, unable to help myself.

"You know… we really do look good here." I utter, not even bothering to hide my little smile.

 _Now that I think about it, this does look a lot like…_

With that thought, I cut myself off to look towards the shelf above the only stool and desk our room has, standing right against one of the room's sides. And on that shelf sits one photo, frame of green and blue, with the very first photo Fia took of us. I'd observe her smile from back then, but it quickly hits me that Fia's also admiring the framed picture, maybe for the same reasons I am.

I smile at the wholesome thought. _I can always look at the real thing…_

"Hey, Indigo…" Fia turns to face me, suddenly catching me off guard with how she looks at me with an expression that's… suddenly drained. "There's something I've started to wonder about."

I quickly drop my smile in an attempt to make sure my dwellings from before wouldn't send the wrong message. "Y-Yeah?"

She glances back at the shelf. "We still haven't gotten our Wailord photo. You remember that one, right?"

It comes back to me. "We were watching the night sky… I had bits of Apple on my face…"

Her expression doesn't shift. "I thought it would've been delivered to us by now. You think something's going on at that Pelipper delivery place?"

"Er…" I try to think of a response, briefly letting my eyes trail away as if I could try stalling with that. While it quickly hits me that I'd just make things more awkward, a box by the back of the room catches my attention in the process. "Well, we did get those letters from Serene Village." I slowly shrug. "Maybe we just have to wait a bit longer?"

Fia cracks a little smile. "Those are letters, and I'm talking about photos. I'd say they're different enough." It's then that her smile starts to waver. "Still can't help but worry about the letters Pops sends me. Do you ever wonder if your parents would've done the same with all this letter sending?"

"My… my parents?" I hesitate. "Well… I have always wondered why I haven't gotten a single letter from Nuzleaf… and I still am wondering, actually…"

"No, no, no, not that," Fia replies, tone still unchanging. Only somewhat serious, but still more than what I normally expect of her. "I was talking about if you think your real parents would've sent you letters regularly. You know, your birth parents and stuff. The ones you had before you turned into a Riolu and lost all your memories."

"O-Oh…" I blink, suddenly feeling the weight of what I've just been asked. "I really don't remember anything about them… but I've never started wondering about them… well, until now…"

I immediately start pondering. _If I did have parents… well, I definitely do… but what were they like? How did they raise me? Did I… have siblings?_

More possible pieces start coming to me, question by question. I suddenly find myself absorbed in the sheer abundance of my thoughts. More possibilities arise one after another, leaving me astonishingly overwhelmed about all these thought avenues I never explored. Yet, it's not as if any of these avenues feel particularly familiar… it's just that I didn't expect thoughts about parents to branch into more questions about siblings and relatives and family ties and-

"Indigo?"

It's only after I hear Fia's voice do I suddenly become aware of her concerned stare and my bated breath. I take a second to sigh.

I glance at her level stare. "S-Sorry… I never really thought about my past family in all this detail…"

The worry in Fia's stare becomes more evident with the slight purse of her frown. "Did you remember anything?"

My stare trails off for a brief second as I attempt to look back into my thought pile. "No… but now I really wish I did… My family might be out there just… looking for me while I never questioned if they existed at all…"

When I look back at Fia, she still looks worried, but this time looking like her stare and her mind are directed elsewhere. She's unusually quiet.

I already know it's not because she didn't happen to hear me. I try to return the concern. "Was it… something I said?"

Fia hesitates, then looks at me with a downed look that catches me off guard. "I was thinking about stuff like that, too… well, but a bit different from that." The unfamiliar look of worried recollection makes me silently gulp in anticipation. "I think I was too young to remember what my parents were like, but I still wondered about them too. I don't even know who they are or… more importantly, why they left me in the fields. Did something… happen to my real parents or did they just not want to have to-"

I catch on. The faint indication that she's starting to choke up. I suddenly throw the possibility for a second thought aside as I step closer to bring my arms around her. With her in my embrace, I pull her closer into my own kind of protective hug. At first, my spontaneous initiative catches me off guard, but as soon as Fia slowly leans her head towards my shoulder and hugs me back, I recall my objective to comfort.

The sound of an ever-so-faint sniffle instinctively urges me to continue holding her close, my paws gently caressing her back. "They… really couldn't have just not wanted you…" My tone remains soft, but still certain. "You're a great Pokémon. And if your parents couldn't see that… well, it's their loss."

Fia's too busy trying to bury her face into my fur to allow me a full look at her expression, but from the faint smile on the corner on her face and the subtle return of her energy, I said the right words.

She pulls her face away, wiping one of her eyes for a bit, then looks up at me with a genuine, soft smile. "You know… I don't even think I was even given time to show how 'great a Pokémon' I was since they left me when I was still super young." Her look suddenly becomes cheeky. "I _was_ just a baby when I was in the fields with Pops."

I blink, stare widening, suddenly realizing what she means and how off I was with my attempt of encouragement. "E-Er, well… in that case… if you parents did abandon you, then I guess they don't know just how much they're missing out?" A bit of awkward uncertainty suddenly slips into my tone at the last second, leaving me feeling embarrassed.

Thankfully, she doesn't take it the wrong way and responds with an amused giggle as she withdraws. And a jab to the arm. "That actually makes me feel much better, Indigo." She then starts to rub the spot on my arm she punched, like she's trying to comfort it even though her jabs don't hurt. "Never change, okay?"

I'm not sure what she means, but something about the way she smiles makes the message feel much warmer to me. Now I'm the one feeling comforted even though I don't feel like I need it right now.

"You know, Indigo, even though I grew up in Serene Village for a long time, I always felt like something was off…" She withdraws her arm, but still smiles at me. "Like, it's not like anyone treated me like an outcast, at least sometimes, but even after all those years I felt like there was more to my life than the village. We didn't get many visitors around there, so everything just started feeling stale eventually. Still, I tried to make the most out of what was there and all that stuff."

I take a second to process her words, briefly trying to imagine Fia trying to introduce herself to the other kids like Pancham and Deerling and where that went from there.

"Hey! What're you smiling on about? You're not supposed to smile! I wasn't done yet!" Fia punches my arm, playfully smiling back at me. "So I've actually been bored for a bit, but then you came around! A new face for the first time in forever!" The excited glint in her eyes intensifies, as if she's trying to re-enact her reaction. "A new friend to make some new memories with and to show around all the… well, not exactly new places, but still places!" It's then that she blinks, her stare directing from nothing in particular to directly at me, looking slightly calmed down with a little grin still on her face. "You know, Indigo… ever since you came around, it felt like something clicked. Like the big break I needed to see what's really out there for me. And I don't know how, but I was actually right." Brief giggle and a jab to my arm. "There you go, silly. _Now_ you can smile."

I already was. The feeling of slight embarrassment reaches me at just how much I'm smiling, leaving me feeling warm and flustered, but regardless I still smile. "W-Well… thank you…" I sheepishly try to stare away, but… "You actually really mean a lot to me too…" And now she's smiling back at what I said-

"You know what, Indigo…" Fia giggles. "... I'll just say it. At this point, I consider you more than just my best friend."

 _M-More than… w-what?_ Her words suddenly strike my warm emotional swelling and intensify it tenfold. What they mean, well… I'm not sure what she's getting at. "What… well, what do you mean?"

She giggles again, like she's confident about what's on her mind, which just makes me even more… excited? Whatever this sudden good trembling is, it's-

There comes to punch to the arm, earning her the attention of my stare once more. "After all we've been through, Indigo… I've actually started seeing you kinda like a brother, you know?"

I blink, my stare suddenly frozen for a brief but significant second.

 _A… a… a what?_ Her words continue to echo, meaning suddenly sinking in. _Why… why did it feel like I was expecting something… more? And what kind of more?_

It suddenly dawns on me that Fia's still smiling at me, eagerly awaiting what I have to say. I sheepishly reach for the back of my head as I speak, trying to act what natural act I can muster. "I-"

The door suddenly swings open, its sudden sound immediately stealing our attention. Mac gives us a quick look from the doorway, stare serious.

"Good, you're awake." He quickly pushes up his glasses, stare unwavering. "I'd remark on your moment of intimacy, but a sudden emergency delayed our morning briefing while also increasing the urgency for a gathering. It's why I'm here at your doorstep instead of ringing you up."

Fia cocks her head, already ready to react. "What kind of weird emergency would be able to delay something while also making it more urgent?"

Mac shrugs, letting a brief smirk show. "It's best if the Chief explained it to you since the rest of us are there as well. Get your bags."

All the while, I'm still here, my mind still boggled up in a mess of events I've yet to fully process. Or… accept, really. _Emergency? Morning briefing? Delay?_ I'm still occupied trying to get my thinking straight and piece it all together.

 _Brother… I can do brother… I can make brother work… right?_

 _Wait, what was it Mac said again?_

A bag of purple leaves suddenly hits me in the face. It takes me a second after it falls into my paws to realize that it's mine. I blink, snapping out of my thoughts to see Fia beckoning for me to follow her, her own bag slung over her shoulder and all.

"E-Er…" I try to utter something amidst my sudden silence. "Is it already time to go?"

"Mac already left and everything! Come on, there's an emergency we need to be there to hear about!"

I quickly fumble with my bag as I try to sling it over my shoulder, still finding my paws to be a bit shaky. It suddenly slips from my grip.

"O-Oh, sorry-" I quickly cut my hushed self off to reach for my bag, still finding myself quivering as the flustered embarrassment comes back in full force.

It's then that my paw is interrupted when a vine tugs my bag away, bringing it to Fia's grip. She carefully hands it to me, slowly, as if she's seeing through how I'm trying to hide my trembling. Either that, or I'm doing a very bad job at hiding it.

Fia's even giving me a concerned look as she helps me put my bag's strap over my shoulder. "Hey, Indigo. Was it… something I said?"

Her sudden change of tone leaves me with a surprised gasp for a second. "Was it… was it what?"

She maintains her stare. "You're nervous, right?"

"I…" A sigh escapes my mouth, desperate to escape the tension of my whole being. "Yeah…" Now comes my paw reaching for the back of my head as I quickly come up with something. "All this…" … _brother…_ "... stuff about family is starting to get to me again…"

Fia lets out a breath as well, smiling at me with a look of subtle relief. "Still think you can go out for exploring or whatever that emergency's all about?"

"Well…" I double check my bag's strap to make sure it's adjusted right. "... I think so."

"Actually, tell you what." Her tone livens up ever so slightly, smile and all. She leans closer to my side and jabs my arm. "If this family stuff is making you feel awkward, then we can go back to being best friends."

I find myself surprised once again, some unfamiliar feeling inside me sparking back to life. "But wait, what about-"

"Oh, that whole brother thing?" Her playful smirk comes back full force, dismissive wrist flick and all. "I'll admit, it was a bit silly of me to bring it up. Besides, I like being an only child." She puts her hands on her hips and slightly lifts her gaze. "It makes me feel special! No non-adult to boss me around or call me a 'lil sis or anything like that!"

I find myself chuckling, catching onto her enthusiasm. Fia giggles, as if my amusement was the reaction she desired.

"So _now_ do you feel up and ready to take on the world?" Fia briefly glances at our still-open door.

My certainty comes back as I muster it into my tone as I nod. "You bet."

She snickers. " _That's_ what I like to hear! So whaddaya say, partner? You and me?" She brings her hand my way.

I follow along and grab her hand, giving it a triumphant shake. "You and me."

"Yeah!" She withdraws and pumps her fist. "Let's go, Team Longshot! Go us!" Right as she says that, she giggles. "You know, I like that. I should use that more." Now the playful smirk is aimed right back at me. "With that being said, race ya to the briefing area!"

I hurriedly blink. "W-Wait!" But she's already off.

Before I take a step, I take a brief look around myself to make sure everything is neat enough to be left alone. The beds could use a bit of work, but-

 _Wait…_ Right on the floor in front of me lies Fia's Expedition Gadget, its screen still displaying the photo she just took of me smiling at her instead of at the camera. As I pick it up, I can't help but smile again, feeling the warm heartfelt emotions come back to me as I recall the moment. Now with the instinct to reminisce, I swipe the screen so it shows our evolved selves. My smile still remains.

Realization strikes me in my brief second of continuing to stare at us. Even if Fia and I both lack memories regarding our families, we both reacted differently to this picture. I used to be surprised seeing my Lucario face, but now I find myself excited like Fia.

Even if we both want to learn more about our parents and our origins, it's not all about who we were. It's about who we can become. And… who can _I_ become _?_

The presence of an inquiry snaps me back to reality as my stare becomes wide, suddenly recalling the urgency of an emergency to be attended. My paws fumble with the Expedition Gadget for a bit, but I manage to catch it and make a break for the doorway, quickly stepping back for a second to close the door.

"F-Fia, wait up!"

 **NOTE: Salutations, it's been a while. It took me seven months, but I'm back. Apologies for the wait, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Done a lot of thinking and decided I'd try some more shots in the dark with how I write chapters, like only having one POV in this one. I've done more dwelling over how to structure my plot and whatnot, so after two hiatuses, I'm here to stay. At least, I hope so. That's really all I have to say from my end, so thanks for reading, and I really do hope you have a good day. :)**

 _-flareon71_


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